Posted on 08/04/2004 10:11:39 AM PDT by mastequilla
Continuing Questions About Flight By JOE SHARKEY
Published: August 3, 2004
ne of the major remaining questions about Northwest Airlines Flight 327 on June 29 from Detroit to Los Angeles - the flight that was met by federal agents and local police responding to a possible terrorist incident - is this:
Did, as a passenger reported, 7 of the 13 Syrian musicians whose behavior was terrifying some passengers stand up in unison and take strategic positions by the lavatories and the exit door during final approach to Los Angeles, an act that would have been a frighteningly overt and unambiguous provocation?
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
>>But no passengers spoke up.
Very good point. I guess the unruly passenger did all the speaking that was needed :D
>>On my last NWA flight I heard a flight attendant say "I'd hate to get old like that"
Real classy. I don't think I've flown on NW. American, United, Delta, TWA, Continental, SWest, AmWest, Eastern, Lufthansa, Iberia ... nope, never NW. Strange.
"One flight out of tens of THOUSANDS, folks. Keep that in mind."
And 9-11 was four.
So, do you draw the line at two or at three?
And how do the passengers on the flight know if the critical number has been reached?"
Pssssst.....on 9/11 four planes were hijacked. In this single instance.....there wasn't a hijacking.
Pass it on....shhhhhhhh!
In a war, we should be able to use the military to follow these people. The FBI is stretched too thin.
>>on 9/11 four planes were hijacked. In this single instance.....there wasn't a hijacking.
Wait till a hijacking is in progress, then leap into action, is that what you are advocating?
And the soaps on tv "covering" OJ, Kobe, Lacy, Lori, and... it never stops.
">>on 9/11 four planes were hijacked. In this single instance.....there wasn't a hijacking. "
"Wait till a hijacking is in progress, then leap into action, is that what you are advocating?"
Nope. What I'm "advocating" is that everybody consider 1)This is the only serious incident to have occured since 9/11....2)Kerry's main theme politically is "Bush hasn't made us safer".
Forty Thousand flights per year on average, and we have one (1) incident of this kind in the almost three years since 9/11/01?
Just trying to point out this is a POLITICAL story, which is why it won't "die". Its been talked about, its been dissected repeatedly. We know that Air Marshall's were on the flight, we know the TSA interviewed the subjects of interest, and let them go.
And I will add I don't know of anyone that flies today that doesn't automatically consider what actions they will take if another 9/11 scenario plays out on any plane.
The best defense against terrorism excluding taking the fight to the enemy is "We the People".
But this story is pure political gamesmanship, in my honest opinion. Has been from the moment it first cropped up.
I've flown on a flight with air marshals. They were obvious.
They were visiting with and boarded with the crew, before even the first class boarding was announced.
They were wearing slacks, knit shirts and sports coats. Very preppy.
They had military haircuts - actually "looked" like Marines if you understand what that means.
They sat in the second row of first class - I assumed so they could protect the aircrew cabin and flight deck.
As I was flying first class and entered first once boarding began, I watched them... as they watched everyone else who boarded.
They did look very capable, but they were very obvious.
Also, I asked a flight attendendant about 1/3 of the way through the flight and she confirmed quietly that they were air marshalls.
Finally, I must note that although they were certainly armed, I saw no sign of their weapons.
>>But this story is pure political gamesmanship, in my honest opinion.
Ok that seems reasonable.
>>Forty Thousand flights per year on average, and we have one (1) incident of this kind in the almost three years since 9/11/01?
Of course from the time of the first WTC bombing to 9/11 was around 8 years, so it's not like these guys move hastily.
And certainly using planes again might be stupid on their part, because as you said, most everyone that travels (with 1/2 a brain at least) has some sort of 9/11 scenario in the back of their minds. I know I do.
I fly about four times a year, and I can't get on a plane without "doing the math" in this regard. I suspect most do the same.
I travel about the same each year.
I would guess most people who are aware of their surroundings (say outside a nightclub or near an ATM) do the same. But there are some clueless, unaware people out there. I just hope if there is another hijacking, there are enough people with that kind of attitude to make a difference.
If you use mozilla as a browser, there is a mozilla extension that you can add to your browser for bug-me-not. When you get to a page that requires registration, just right click and choose "bug me not." The bug-me-not box will then display with the registration and password. IOW, a shortcut to get the info without having to go to the bug-me-not website.
"I understand your concern about the propaganda effects, but wishing won't make this go away."
I'm not "wishing" anything. I'm noting that if you have 40,000 flights per year, you will have X number of incidents. Its guaranteed.
You've documented a half dozen (the shoe bomber wasn't here, btw, that was the Brits) stories out of approximately 120,000 plus flights.
Take a guess how many "incidents" occured prior to 9/11....it was a helluva lot more from what I understand.
I read another passenger sitting in first class interviewed and said she saw the whole thing and was terrified,,she gave an identical story.
I travel about the same each year.
I would guess most people who are aware of their surroundings (say outside a nightclub or near an ATM) do the same. But there are some clueless, unaware people out there. I just hope if there is another hijacking, there are enough people with that kind of attitude to make a difference."
Yep, most go thru life with blinders on, to be sure. But I think the vast majority of us consider our options when we make the ticket reservations, get our bags checked in, while waiting to board, and after we are seated.
Unless terrorists can slip a gun on board, I seriously doubt another sucessful hijacking will take place, ala 9/11. As it stand now, I think the terrorist understand the best they can hope for is another plane in the ground like the one in Pennsylvania.
"We the People" aren't going to go quietly.
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