[marktwain]

“The fear mongers are waving them about though, trying to scare us into further budget increases for the department”

It appears that you have more information about the people involved than most of us at Freerepublic. Something does not seem quite right about this article. I find it difficult to believe that it occurred just as described, because our security officials are generally competent, IMHO. Some of the characterizations in the story seem totally tilted toward one side, as if this were an editorial.

Any more information that you could post would be appreciated.

I am not saying that this was not a “dry run”, but I do not trust the way this article portrays things.

It does seem unlikely to me that successful singers would be suicide jihadists, but could they be recruited to do a “dry run”, just because they would be more likely to “get a pass” on suspicious behavior?

[agere_contra]

but could they be recruited to do a “dry run”, just because they would be more likely to “get a pass” on suspicious behavior?

Excellent point

[happygrl]

I find it difficult to believe that it occurred just as described, because our security officials are generally competent, IMHO.

Read the links cindy has provided in post#2. There was an extensive multi-apart series run by the Wall Street Journal by Anne Jacobsen who later wrote a book Terror in the Skies.

It was worse than this article depicts.

[miele man]

You are incorrect. It occurred exactly as written. For more information, do a search on Annie Jacobson. She wrote extensively on this issue. She was on the plane at the time.

I think your blind trust in security officials is not well founded either. You seem to be completely 180 degrees out of phase on this particular issue and incident.