Posted on 01/15/2005 3:34:16 AM PST by Stoat
A MYSTERY IN THE SKIES
By Michelle Malkin · January 14, 2005 10:58 PM
Physician blogger Dr. Bob says one of his patients, a federal air marshal, told him about a foiled hijacking involving boxcutters hidden in overhead luggage bins:
He and his partner were assigned to a flight (the airline, airport, and destination were not disclosed) in their customary undercover security role. They boarded the airplane early in order to meet the flight attendants, at which time the cleaning crew was still on the airplane -- somewhat longer than expected. My patient and his partner sat together in seats near the middle of coach class.
It's hard to imagine, in a post-9/11 world, that terrorists would attempt another attack with box cutters. Also, Dr. Bob's patient did not disclose specifics--airport, airline, destination, etc.--that would facilitate confirmation. If anyone can provide more information, drop me a line. Whether or not the story is true, it highlights at least two important policy questions: 1. What kind of security measures are being undertaken with regard to clean-up crews and other ground personnel with access to airplanes? 2. Why does FAMS director Tom Quinn continue to enforce idiotic pre-boarding policies that expose marshals' identities to observant passengers? Update: The idea that terrorist operatives might be trying to smuggle razor blades as weapons onto planes is not pure fantasy. Last April, Pakistani illegal alien Fazal Karim was convicted on charges of carrying and attempting to carry concealed dangerous weapons in air transportation and of making false statements about his immigration status. Security officials at Dallas/Ft. Worth airport found 32 double-edged razor blades tucked in a coiled belt inside a cardboard box in Fazal Karim's carry-on luggage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Schattman argued that Karim carried out a test run to aid terrorism. The Ft. Worth Star Telegram reported that security officers first noticed that Karim appeared to distance himself from his carry-on bag. After placing the bag on the conveyor belt leading to an X-ray machine, Karim did not walk through the adjacent magnetometer but selected one farther away. He offered FBI agents three different explanations for the blades, Schattman said. First, Karim said he used the blades to shave the bottom of his full beard. Then he said they were for a friend in Houston. Finally, he said he did not know the blades were in the bag. More: At a hearing in November, a federal agent testified that the names and phone numbers of the current directors of the civil aviation systems in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates were found in Karim's address book _ 10 years after he worked as a computer programmer for the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.
In addition, I've found at least one other mention of a flight crew member discovering razor blades in blankets. Weird. Scary weird. Update II: Reader Eric makes some additional, on-target points... For me at least, there is another lesson in this story. |
Second passenger saw suspicious behavior (Syrian musicians)
Washington Times
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1181468/posts
My Dog, Spot! Ain't he handsome?
Well, not quite. It's enough that they always want to bump me to first class when I'm flying with my wife and I can't take it because she doesn't have the miles. I Fly to Hong Kong 4-5 times a year which makes up the bulk of my miles. A couple trips here or there to Florida, Vegas, Atlanta and Ohio and it looks like I'm in the air all the time but really I fly maybe 8-10 times a year, it's just that trips to Asia really pile the mileage in. As for the Hygiene issue, I suppose I should care, frankly unless I can see those teeming rhinoviruses, I just don't worry about it. It's like the blankets on a bed in a hotel room. Prolly all loaded up with Semen, ass cabbage and the like. Unless I see skidmarks or white tracks, I'm just not going to worry about it. I only go to the room when I'm exhausted anyway and it's nice and warm, heh. I'm probably exposed to so much crap, pun intended, it's probably why I don't get colds very often.
I figure the guy handling my food introduces me to more biological danger than what someone inadvertantly left on a piece of cloth that it just doesn't matter. As long as I can't smell it or see it, I'll just have to ignore it or go insane like Howard Hughs.
It is sort of like the Russian school incident. That was carried out due to the people who worked for the school over the summer. They were the ones who planted the bombs for the terrorists, weren't they? So definately the clean up crews, etc. should be made to go through an exstensive background check.
I guess the answer then is to just not travel anywhere?
After all, ALL modes of public transportation are potential targets. And, Amtrak is definitely out of the question after what happened to the trains in Spain.
What's a person to do? Turn into a hermit?
Not quite....I believe that public confidence in public transportation would rise dramatically if the corporations who ran them would simply accept a slightly lower profit margin and truthfully advertise that EVERY passage on EVERY route will feature multiple, highly-trained and heavily-armed Air/Train/Bus Marshals. Yes, it would be expensive. Yes, it most likely will never happen. But the benefit of it would be that the element of 'not knowing' whether you're among sheep or not would return. A precisely-coordinated, meticulously planned terror attack would lose some appeal if it's not known whether they would get to first base with it or not.
A massive ad campaign proclaiming armed marshals on every flight / bus / train / etc would be followed by numerous highly-publicized arrests of baddies by these Marshals would, in my view, do a lot toward rebuilding public confidence in public transportation. As it is now, people feel naked and vulnerable. Nobody likes that sort of feeling.
Oh yeah, love Bill the cat! ROFL. Perfect!
I have three cats, just in case you wanted to know. ;-)
I agree she has been very candid. My critcism is not directed at her at all, but rather, to those who have criticised others for merely questioning the truth of Dr. Bob's blog.
As do I, and not to mention a stone fox pretty lady. Ann Coulter just gets all the press.
Spot runs every day. On a busy day, he only gets about three or four miles in, but when I have little to do, he runs as much as 10 or more... in front of the car. One of my hats is GC, and where I am building, there are long empty roads. I let him jump out, when I stop at the entrance, and he sometimes travels at speeds up to 28+ (by my gps) trying to stay ahead of me... We love him!
The cats are tolerated (by me...LOL)
This raises another policy issue, namely whether we investigate the individuals who purchased these seats. Who were they? Why didn't someone - like the illustrious air marshals - follow them? What documentation exists WRT the cleaning crew?
It's called a security blanket...
Excellent!
Another example: when did we become a democracy, rather than a constitutional republic?
Here's a famous Dr. Bob.
I was flying out of Denver last June.
Went through the usual security, stage one was an 'agent' checking IDs.
I watched him. He kept his head down, looked at the DL licenses or other IDs and never looked up to match the face with the picture.
I thought about reporting him but didn't as 'crossing' these people is asking for trouble and delays.
Let's face it. We get what we pay for.
|
Excellent points all. My guess is that such data may not be publicly available due to National Security laws. And so we are largely left with stories such as this one by Michelle Malkin, which some have chosen to impugn. Getting 'official' data on this sort of event is quite likely impossible due to the sensitive nature of it and so we have nothing else to go on other than what we see in this article. So does this mean that the event didn't happen? No, it means that verifying it and providing background detail is quite a bit more difficult than an 'average' story.
Hey noob, thanks for your thoughtful response.
Ever consider that TSA gate security and ramp security sucks so bad this is entirely plausible? Noooooo that might actually be constructive to ponder.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.