Two Passengers Held at Seattle Airport

Reuters ^ | Wednesday October 31 11:23 AM ET | Reuters

[Koblenz]

SEATTLE (Reuters) - U.S. Customs and FBI (news - web sites) agents in Seattle seized two passengers from a Northwest Airlines Corp. jet inbound from Narita, Japan, on Wednesday and held them for questioning, airport and airline spokespersons said.

Officials kept the rest of the 201 passengers and 17 crew members on board the Boeing 747-200 while the two unidentified men were questioned and their bags searched, said Northwest spokesman Bill Mellon.

``The FBI asked us to hold (the plane) short of the passenger terminal. Customs and FBI agents boarded the flight and have detained two men. They are questioning them and they are checking their carry-on and checked luggage,'' Mellon said.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport spokeswoman Terry-Ann Mohon said passengers are routinely held aboard the plane during such an incident.

The red-eye flight from Narita had otherwise gone normally, Mellon said.

``The were no problems on the flight. No incidents were reported,'' he said.

Officials at the Seattle FBI office declined to confirm any of the details of the incident.

[Robert357]

Northwest Flight 8- Taipei - Narita - Seattle - Memphis

Oh, no! Graceland must be the symbolic American Target! (/sarcasm)

I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself.

[Tai_Chung]

Elvis has left the building

[momofsixgirls]

I am not sure what you mean?

[lyssy]

Thanks for the link, Delmont. http://www.kiro710.com/news.jsp

A Northwest Airlines spokesman says two people questioned by the F-B-I at Sea- Tac Airport have "checked out." Spokesman Bill Mellon says that means they presented no threat. The 200 passengers detained for about two hours have been allowed to go through normal Customs at the airport.

[Rheo]

Don't have a source but someone had posted that anthrax would not survive a crash as well as just releasing it??

Atta supposedly had chemical burns of some kind but not anthrax related.???..not sure if this stuff can be manipulated to do things not previously done or mixed w/other bacteria...hopefully they are checking for more than just anthrax.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

It's just a joke in bad taste and I'm not surprised that a mom of six girls doesn't get it. It is a sign that you have your head on more important things than the gutter. As opposed to me.

I'm busy trying to keep my three y.o. from sitting/ running into my 3 month old so forgive me if my self censorship function is not working.

[aculeus]

This is from the Irish Independent:

Planes seized in US in anthrax alert

18:33 Wednesday October 31st 2001
The FBI has seized two jets at separate US airports in a possible anthrax alert. The two planes are being held at San Francisco Airport and Seattle-Tacoma Airport. Both planes flew in from Japan and there are suggestions couriers may have carried anthrax on board. Apparently five US officials boarded the Seattle-bound flight after it landed and removed two passengers. He says the remaining 201 passengers and 17 crew members have been released. © http://www.unison.ie/

[lexington minuteman 1775]

Hey.I thought the story the press was floating was the anthrax was local from the midwest.Isn't there an easier way to transport if from Illinois to the west coast without going via Japan? Just wondering.

[Eala]

Oh, great. I fly to the East Coast from SEATAC next week. I hear they're laying in an extra supply of rubber gloves for that "special" search...

Let me know how it goes. I go the week following.

Usually I like to travel in a robe, a false beard, and muttering "kill the infidels" - it usually guarantees me an empty seat next to me, but I don't think it'll work this time.

Oh, yes, it still will. But the empty seat next to you won't be on an airplane.

[momofsixgirls]

I didn't get the nine part but I got to looking at my name and it could be seen this way: Mom offs six girls....Never thought of that before till now. I want to set the record straight...I did not off my six girls....lol. Seriously, though yes we all have a lot on our minds as of late and Big ern you are forgiven...I remember those days of trying to keep the little ones from hurting each other...Cherish, believe it or not, because they don't last nearly long enough!

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

That just shows how many ways exist to read your screename. I meant something else.

Yes we are very busy around here. The 3 y.o. is very jealous of the 3 month old's monopoly on mom's time/chest.

On the other hand she couldn't be less interested in me when I'm feeding him.

[1Old Pro]

He says the remaining 201 passengers and 17 crew members have been released.

Good sign, no need for quarantine

[Billthedrill]

I've met both of Big Ern's girls. Cuties. He's doomed.

Heh heh heh...just wait until puberty, Ern. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Hey, shouldn't you be 86ing somebodies attempted adultcheck usage at work?

[Delmont]

Yes , Poulsbo. If you are familiar with area you probably know about "Poulsbo" Bread. If not, its about 12 miles as the crow flies across water from Seattle. How about you?

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

I'm in Edmonds. Do you work in the RV factory?LOL

Are you new to FR? We have a local chapter that has potlucks every quarter and if you look up a few replies you will see billthedrill's name. He provides the homebrew beer that is evey bit as good as pyramid alehouse's work product.

If you want to be added to the list shoot me an email with your email address and your name.

And you have to promise not to bring macaroni and cheese because publius always signs up to bring that recipe.

[Publius]

I have a lactose problem, so I never eat macaroni and cheese, much less bring it. I always bring my homemade biscotti.

[skeeter]

If these are anthrax COURIERS from the Phillipines, wouldn't that point to their possibly delivering to a domestic partner for distribution? Ala the Schippers rumor of a Phillipine connection to Nichols, of an Iraqi/Mcveigh alliance.

I dunno, McVeigh was by all accounts a loner who may have made some connections while stationed in the Gulf. Kinda unique circumstances in his case.

Second, I think the threat posed by "right wing hate groups" has been GREATLY overstated.

Also, why would a sophisticated well funded organization like Al Queda forge an alliance with skinhead infidels way out in the sticks, who have been marginalized and under the federal microscope for the last couple of decades, instead of using operatives in big cities where the not only blend in much more readily, but can take advantage of the current PC atmosphere?

On the other hand, it is to the great good benefit of liberals everywhere to have their friends in the media propogate stories about right wingers under the stairs, especially in the aftermath of 9/11.

All things considered, there can be no right wing connection.

[cgbg]

if they were carrying anthrax and crashed the plane what would that do? Would the anthrax live through that?

This story turned out to be a false alarm which is hardly surprising. If Bin Ladin and/or Iraq did not already have anthrax pre-positioned in-country prior to 9/11 they are the stupidest terrorists who ever lived.

But as to your question. Anthrax on a crashed plane would be subject to extreme heat which would kill it, sunlight which would kill it, wind which would disperse it outside the structure, and most it of would end up infecting people who were already dead in a part of a building which was already destroyed.

All in all, this would be an incredibly inefficient and stupid way of delivering anthrax.

No, I will not tell you the efficient and brilliant ways to deliver it, because if I told you I would have to shoot you. ;-)

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Macaroni, biscotti; I knew it was an italian dish.