EXCERPTS:
A newly released inspector general report backs eyewitness accounts of suspicious behavior by 13 Middle Eastern men on a Northwest Airlines flight in 2004 and reveals several missteps by government officials, including failure to file an incident report until a month after the matter became public.
An air marshal who told The Times that he has been involved personally in terror probes that were ignored by federal security managers, called such behavior typical.
"Agency management was not only covering up numerous probes and dry-run encounters from Congress and other federal law-enforcement agencies, it was also hiding these incidents from their own flying air marshals," said P. Jeffrey Black, an air marshal stationed in Las Vegas.
"Prior to boarding, one of the air marshals noticed what he later characterized as ‘unusual behavior’ by about six Middle Eastern males, who arrived at the gate together, then separated, and acted as if they did not know each other," the report said.
According to the report, Flight 327 was "delayed for five minutes because one of the 13 suspicious passengers, who appeared not to understand English and walked with a limp, was seated in the emergency exit row. The flight attendant determined he was unable to operate the emergency procedures and delayed the flight while having him exchange seats."
"On the flight, 13 Middle Eastern men behaved in a suspicious manner that aroused the attention and concern of the flight attendants, passengers, air marshals and pilots," the report said. The men "walked in the aisle, appearing to count passengers," and "several men spent excessive time in the lavatories."
"One man rushed to the front of the plane appearing to head for the cockpit. At the last moment, he veered into the first-class lavatory, remaining in it for about 20 minutes," according to the report. One man carried a McDonald’s bag into the lavatory, and "another man, upon returning from the lavatory, reeked strongly of what smelled like toilet bowl chemicals."
"Some men hand signaled each other. The passenger who entered the lavatory with the McDonald’s bag made a thumbs-up signal to another man upon returning from the lavatory. Another man made a slashing motion across his throat, appearing to say ‘No.’ "
As the flight descended into Los Angeles, the report said, "four of the suspicious individuals stood up and made their way to the back of the plane," where "the individuals used the rear lavatory, and one of the men was doing stretching exercises/knee bends by the exit door."
A background check conducted weeks later in the FBI’s Automated Case Support (ACS) system revealed that the promoter was involved in a similar probe on Jan. 28, 2004.
The unnamed promoter "was one of eight passengers acting suspiciously aboard Frontier Airlines Flight 577 from Houston through Denver, to San Francisco," the report said.
"Flight attendants reported all eight passengers kept trying to switch seats while boarding and during the flight, made repeated service requests in what the attendants described as an effort to keep the flight crew occupied. One took a cell phone into the front lavatory, remained in the lavatory for over 15 minutes, but did not appear to have the phone when leaving the lavatory," the report said.
The incident followed a series of breaches of airline security in December and January, when the FBI issued a memo warning that suicide terrorists were plotting to hijack trans-Atlantic planes by smuggling "ready-to-build" bomb kits past airport security to be assembled in aircraft bathrooms.
you can also get a first hand version of this story from one of the passengers. she has a 4 part series in WWS.
http://www.womenswallstreet.com/columns/column.aspx?aid=578
Well, that’s JUST GREAT. I’m booked on a Frontier flight through Denver to San Francisco this July 25. Yay!
Oh, and did I mention that I’m departing from Houston?
If you think you can trust our government with your security, good luck to you.
It’s sort of like what F. Lee Bailey said during the OJ trial- if you think our legal system is about truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth then you’re a fool.
The best part of this whole story is that the 13 men were the back-up band for Nour Mehana, who is referred to as “The Wayne Newton of Syria”.
Wow! That’s gotta be like being the Paul Williams of Tibet. LOL – what is “Danke Schoen” in Syrian?
BTW, you know how musicians can be (or anyone in show business, for that matter). What do you want to bet that they were joking around beforehand and decided it would be pretty funny to mess with the minds of the passengers on the plane?
Jamie– if they did, they should be charged about like folks who yell “fire” in a crowded building.
That does it.
From now on, I am just going to start punching suspicious folks on planes in the face.
You want to make jokes and put on a show? Fine. But be prepared for some harsh criticism from Mr. Fist.
Attempted bombing or no. Those men should be behind bars. Joking about bombing or terrorist threats on planes has NEVER been legal.
Don’t anybody DARE do anything (even complain) about such passangers or else YOU WILL BE SUED BY THEM! It just might be better to let these folks carry out their plan. Heck, what’s the big deal — it only means the lost of many lives anyway.
PASSENGERS SUED OVER ‘IMAMS’ REMOVAL
Has anyone thought of them trying to open an emergency exit door during flight? I like to think the airline designers already have a plan in place for that.
John– I believe that air pressure makes sure that can’t happen.
*cough* Stubble, I am not sure if you’re joking, but… what if their idea of a joke was to stand up and yell that they had a bomb and were going to bring down the plane? In that instance, I wouldn’t bat an eye at them being beat down to unconcious lumps.
If this is a “joke” then it is not unlike dialing 911 for prank calls– it’s a very serious matter where the actions they were “joking” about are the same as those where lives are at risk, and by their actions they are raising the risk that, next time, when there is a *real* risk, it will be thought a joke and we’ll have a few hundred more graves.
I’m not laughing, are you?
And we know what the issue is here, right? They didn’t want to take any action, lest they be accused of the cardinal sin of “Racial Profiling”
Even IF the men are acting suspicious. Fear of being accused, will freeze the government agents in their tracks.
I mentioned that Political Correctness is like a minefield: It prevents movement by instilling fear that something will explode.
Living in the NY harbor area, I believe it’s just a matter of time before we here have another tragic incident….the tuberculosis man and his getting through repeated borders establishes that. NY has been safe for awhile because of FBI infiltration of radicals and because one of Muhammed’s last 4 requests was that his followers rid the Arabian lands of infidels. Bin Laden then sinned big time by drawing the US to the mideast. And so he has not ordered further incidents perhaps. As long as we’re in Iraq, the most radical flow toward Iraq to rid it of infidels. But once we come home, NY will have another incident. Non NYer’s will have to judge of these things even if they are safe in the farming states.
As long as we’re in Iraq, the most radical flow toward Iraq to rid it of infidels.
Mr. Bannon,
I’m afraid we’ll learn that lesson only when it becomes all too late.
You’re perhaps amongst the few who believe this.
Bill, Esau– problem being, Infidels also means the other factions of Islam, or those of your faction that aren’t solid enough behind you.
Jamie– if they did, they should be charged about like folks who yell “fire” in a crowded building.
And the passengers should sue them for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
About being sued — there is the Protect John Doe Act.
I don’t think it’s law yet. Call your Senators! Call your Representive!
(It would also protect the Fort Dix tipster.)
Foxfire
Ledanese epistle- Osama Bin Laden: ” Clearly after Belief (Imaan) there is no more important duty than pushing the American enemy out of the holy land.”
Mary,
Thanks for the follow-up!
I still can’t believe terrorists can actually sue passangers who report them.
Bill- not everyone follows Bin Laden.
I’d counter-sue the turbans off their heads!
Foxfire
Obviously, that’s why we’re catching the lesser wackos who are filming their training and getting it developed in our stores as in New Jersey this month. But Bin Laden’s call to worldwide muslims in the Ledanese epistle was wonderful in that it drew the worst and the pros to Iraq where many of them have been handed over to God but fortunately removed from this earth.
Bill– ah, a fan of the Marines? Our Marines claimed their mission statement was to make sure that the terrorist made their apointment in the afterlife….
Foxfier,
A big fan. Tonight…here on the harbor… a young pretty girl came to our door selling GE’s version of security systems. I told her we had a short pistol grip pump shotgun (like 6 9mm’s at once) and a watch dog and portable alarms on every window…. and we were not going to pay GE to get here 10 minutes after the fight.
She left quick knowing she needs people who think there is time. Or she was part of a crew scoping the area and scoping my living room from the door. That’s fine….her crew won’t hit a place with a pistol grip pump and a dog.
You’re right, Bill. In 18 years as a police officer, I have never heard of a burglary at a house that had a big dog in it. I know a sergeant who retired 5 years ago after 30 years on the job who told me the same.
BTW, back when I used to work the midnight-to-8 shift every third week, I would sometimes hear an alarm go off. I’d note the time, check the place out, and, assuming it was secure, would wait to get the call on the alarm. The quickest I ever got one was 9 minutes after the alarm went off.
bill912
I don’t know why people would pay a monthly for that
but it’s probably cases where the wife will not allow guns due to children. The girl last night though had no paperwork, no pamphets… and hence my suspicion. I’m a long-short investor (shorting the Russel 2000 this week is killing me)///gallery marine artist so I’m here all day if I want to be and while the block is nice looking….roses,spreading junipers etc, this is the general NY metro area and the area has had about 8 murders a year within 7 blocks each way often known to each other though…youths who take Mobb Deep seriously and the irony is that I left a suburban area for a time where one of Mobb Deep lived in a mansion and he told me to be careful when I get down here…but it’s about taking care of sick relatives and I grew up here and know how to deal with it.
Didn’t you get the memo? Islam is the religion of peace. Clearly radical CHRISTIANS are responsible for this, because Islam is the religion of peace. Further, anyone who suggests otherwise is an Islamophobe. Which is a hate crime. And if you suggest Islam isn’t the religion of peace, then they’ll gouge your eyes out. Got it?
Bill Bannon: Thanks for the info. I’m in Suffolk County on Long Island. We have had several groups come through the area recently doing exactly what you describe, except that they sell magazine subscriptions. The subscriptions are apparently real, but the true purpose of these groups is to do burglaries and larcenies. They hit an area for a few days, then move on. They go all over the country. So, if we don’t grab them in the act, they usually get away. We have been charging them with peddling without a license, in hopes of convincing them to leave our county(or, atleast, my precinct) and not come back. So beware of these people, too.
The subscriptions are apparently real, but the true purpose of these groups is to do burglaries and larcenies.
Unfortunately, this is true.
These folks merely use that (e.g., magazine subscription) as cover in order to “case the joint”, if you will, and then memorize the times when you’re not at home in order to rob it.
As always, this blog is educational in more ways than I could imagine. It hadn’t occurred to me that door to doors would be casing, but it makes sense. Thanks for that and the big dog tip. The problem here is that big dogs need room for exercise.
Mary Kay
Get a small Shih Tsu which are warning or watch dogs not big ferocious guard dogs and are sweet…ergo…no lawsuits. But they will only bark when someone you can’t even hear approaches the house. They are useful to warn people who rely on a gun. Then get a gun which is easily paid for by the small amount of food the Shih Tsu will eat compared to a big dog and Shih Tsu’s need almost no exercise and they crave attention and are affectionate. As a woman, get a .22 caliber pistol which has no kick and is used by mobsters because they shoot accurately in the head where it ricochets within the skull….there and the heart is the only place they will do damage though… so you can’t just general aim at an attacker as you can with a shot gun. And follow your state’s rules on when you may shoot someone who breaks in. A pistol grip shotgun may break your wrist with its kick….(I’m 6’3″…250….and it swells up my hand when I use it at the range…an hour later, I look like Popeye).
Otherwise…get a really really certified and well bred Dobbie/Rottie/ or German Shepherd….short of great breeding, they may eventually attack you or a child next door. A Shih Tsu and a pistol are safer and more controllable. I’ll never forget we had an elderly lady in our area whose German Shepherd turned on her eventually and killed her. Shih Tsu’s are not only small but never bite….but they hear and warn….hear and warn.
Anon, thank you for such a complete response. I have to admit that I never thought of owning a pistol. Dogs are at least somewhat familiar. You’ve certainly given me something to think about.
That was me just above. Returning to terrorism, a group has been discovered and arrested in a plot to blow up the fuel line to JFK airport and the leader was a Muslim US citizen. He should be shot after giving him several months to repent as they did in Charles Dickens day and country….and that would satisfy the catechism’s intent of an opening for repentance; indeed the good thief repented perhaps partly because his demise was imminent and not 30 years off within a life sentence. Injected? No…I think that is a false modern trail since it is removing part of the rebalancing of the injustice caused by the man.
but what’s the matter with all of these people and websites that state that 911 was an inside job? if it was then what’s with the crazy, suspicious behavior on flight 327?