You and I may have equally warped minds -- hopefully. Both the number of Arabs and South Asians working at airports and the difficulty of effective screening when what you are checking for is essentially private religious belief and fervor, not criminality or poor work habits which are likely documented somewhere, many bad actors must be in the plane cleaner, luggage handler, electrician, mechanic and related ranks. This does sound like a test run.
Yikes.
This does sound like a test run.
I remember when I was flying during the first gulf war, the security was unbelievable--especially out of the states. In between flights the plane was practically stripped. I saw them bring on dogs, and all the seat cushions were lifted up and checked. As airline crew, we were under heavier scrutiny, as well. The passengers actually had to walk on the tarmac to the cargo hold and physically identify their luggage before it could be loaded onto the plane, "Yes, this is my suitcase". Any "extra" baggage was not loaded onto the aircraft, and I believe was destroyed. I have to believe that they are doing similar things under this kind of threat.
Now the question is--exactly WHO are the people making certain the plane is "secure" and HOW was the phone (isn't it still a prohibited item?) in the plastic bag "missed" in their cabin check?
Maybe it is nothing, but it certainly sounds ominous.