31 Yemeni Residents Detained at JFK

AP | 2/20/02

[kattracks]

NEW YORK, Feb 20, 2002 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Authorities refused to let 31 Yemeni passengers board a flight departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport because they did not have proper visas, the Port Authority said Wednesday.

The group was scheduled to take British Airways Flight 116 at 11 p.m. Tuesday to Yemen with a connection in London, Port Authority spokesman Sgt. Jeff Baumbach said.

They were barred from the flight and detained after the visa problem came to light, Baumbach said. He said the airline called the FBI, whose Joint Terrorist Task Force responded to investigate.

The 31 detainees apparently all booked their tickets with the same travel agent, Baumbach said. It was unclear what type of visas they lacked or how long they would be held in custody.

"Safety and security are paramount at BA," a British Airways spokeswoman said. "The group did not have the proper travel documents, and thus the security process was taken to the next step."

Telephone calls early Wednesday to the FBI were not immediately returned.

Copyright 2002 Associated Press, All rights reserved

[chainsaw]

I'm even willing to let them have a parachute each.

Hey, parachutes cost $1,500 per copy. Unless your talking about old wornout and thread bare ones.

[Clovis_Skeptic]

How did these people get here (be admitted) in the first place?

The same way millions of others have.....they filled out demorat voter registeration cards

[FreedomPoster]

OK!

[End Times Sentinel]

Please forgive my ignorance on this, but what’s the significance of them paying cash? I’m missing this.

Owl _ Eagle
“Guns before butter.”

[cardinal4]

Paying cash for an airline ticket is a security trigger.3 things NOT to do when purchasing an airline ticket;

1.Dont pay cash

2.Dont buy a one way

3.Never in the 24 hours prior to flight.

These are some of the criteria used for choosing computer selectees.There are some others,but those three will get you selected everytime,even prior to 9/11.

[Gargantua]

If someone wants to hide the actual source of their funding, they pay cash to eliminate any "paper trail." You've heard the term, "Just follow the money"?

Well, when someone pays cash, the trail ends there unless the bill are somehow "marked" with identification. People who intend to use the money in accomplishing a crime do not "mark" their bills.

In truth, it may not be significant that they all paid with cash, but it does raise warning flags. And after Sept 11, we don't need much of a warning flag.

[yoe]

..."they did not have proper visas

Automatic deportation...back to where they came from.