Posted on 11/28/2006 11:51:25 PM PST by xtinct
Air marshals, pilots and security officials yesterday expressed concern that airline passengers and crews will be reluctant to report suspicious behavior aboard for fear of being called "racists," after several Muslim imams made that charge in a press conference Monday at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Six imams, or Muslim holy men, accused a US Airways flight crew of inappropriately evicting them from a flight last week in Minneapolis after several passengers said the imams tried to intimidate them by loudly praying and moving around the airplane. The imams urged Congress to enact laws to prohibit ethnic and religious "profiling." Federal air marshals and others yesterday urged passengers to remain vigilant to threats. "The crew and passengers act as our additional eyes and ears on every flight," said a federal air marshal in Las Vegas, who asked that his name not be used. "If [crew and passengers] are afraid of reporting suspicious individuals out of fear of being labeled a racist or bigot, then terrorists will certainly use those fears to their advantage in future aviation attacks."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Why weren't they arrested like any other schmoe who causes trouble on an airline?
Being Muslim is now a race.
"Federal air marshals and others yesterday urged passengers to remain vigilant to threats."
The whole incident was a set up by the imams. They caused an expected reaction so they could call bigotry/Islamophobia. Just like when they did it to NASCAR.
Exactly!
Let the liberals can whine.We're not buying it!
I agree with you. They are trying to reduce the probability that we will get them before they commit acts of terrorism. We should not accept it.
Predictable !!!
It would sweet if there were some surveillance recordings of these imams doing their planning, but I suppose the government wouldn't want to release such recordings even if they existed.
Praying is one thing. Making "hate America" remarks, changing assigned seats without permission, sitting near all exits in front, center and rear, and asking for seat belt extensions when not needed then placing them on the floor are examples of suspicious things that would draw attention by any group of men. US Airways is to be commended for its actions.
Not much chance of that happening if I'm on the plane.
Plausible cover stories are an integral part of psychological ops schemes.
Yep.
I think you are absolutely correct. I've traveled with Muslims on planes (mostly prior to 9/11) and have yet to experience one jumping out of their seat and starting to pray "loudly"! Were these jerks even facing the correct direction--toward Mecca?? I haven't heard anyone mention it yet.
This whole little "scenario" was a device to bring to public attention the alleged "persecution" of Muslims. Little do they know, most of us don't think they are "persecuted" enough!!
US Airways is to be commended for its actions
Last week someone had a link so we could email them and tell them so. I emailed them and I think quite a few on FR did too. It is better to be safe then sorry. Too bad if their feelings are hurt, they shouldn't have been behaving so oddly.
I note that US Air generously chose to throw them off the plane while it was still on the ground. Where's the gratitude??
They were slapped in cuffs and detained five hours - good enough..
BTW I support their call for Muslims to boycott US Airways, in fact, if we could just get ALL Muslims to boycott ALL US air carriers we could go back to civilised travelling like we had before 9/11
Psyops and perhaps a probe of security! If we are smart enough to figure this out, I have to assume the Air Marshal's Service, the FBI, CIA, TSA and a half dozen other security agencies also have it figured out. These six Imams have managed to put themselves on every S-list the Feds have. They won't be able to go to the crapper without some spook knowing when, where, and whether it was one, two, or a fizzle.
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