Terror In The Skies, Again?

[Trip Confirmed]

This is not just for the 2 airlines involved. Read it now.

This article is spreading like wildfire all over the country.



Terror in the Skies, Again?



By Annie Jacobsen

A WWS Exclusive Article


Note from the E-ditors: You are about to read an account of what happened during a domestic flight that one of our writers, Annie Jacobsen, took from Detroit to Los Angeles. The WWS Editorial Team debated long and hard about how to handle this information and ultimately we decided it was something that should be shared. What does it have to do with finances? Nothing, and everything. Here is Annie's story.

On June 29, 2004, at 12:28 p.m., I flew on Northwest Airlines flight #327 from Detroit to Los Angeles with my husband and our young son. Also on our flight were 14 Middle Eastern men between the ages of approximately 20 and 50 years old. What I experienced during that flight has caused me to question whether the United States of America can realistically uphold the civil liberties of every individual, even non-citizens, and protect its citizens from terrorist threats.

http://www.womenswallstreet.com/WWS/articl...1&articleid=711


This is a must read for everyone.

 

[jsn25911]

Can't seem to connect to the link. It is correct?

 

[Trip Confirmed]

The link is good, but this is so big the server may be crashing.

But for whatever reason, I posted this first on the Northwest forum, and the stupid link from there still works.

It will make the hair stand up on your neck.

 

[jimntx]

Just one of the sentences from the article which make me suspicious of the whole thing...

"A law enforcement official stood near us, holding 14 Syrian passports in his hand."

How did an "innocent" bystander know that the passports were Syrian? The same person stated earlier in the article that some of the men were standing in the boarding area with "blue passports [that had] Arabic writing on them. How many people do you know on domestic flights who stand around holding their passports in full view?

Also, I doubt seriously that a flight attendant would risk Federal charges by telling a passenger that there were Air Marshals on board. One used the phrase, "there are Air Marshals all around us." While they were at it, why didn't the f/as tell exactly how many and their seat locations.

"From what I witnessed, Northwest Airlines doesn't have to worry about Norman Mineta filing a complaint against them for discriminatory, secondary screening of Arab men. No one checked the passports of the Syrian men. No one inspected the contents of the two instrument cases or the McDonald's bag."

How does the writer know this? She was connecting in Detroit from PVD on her way to LA; so, she would have gone from her arrival gate to her departure gate. Supposedly she didn't see any of the men until they were all in the boarding area. I don't believe that their carry-on items were not x-rayed at the security point and how would the writer know that they weren't. Furthermore, there is no reason to check passports when one is boarding a domestic flight. California is strange, but you don't need your passport to go there.

This story just doesn't pass the smell test to me.

 

[Trip Confirmed]

read it again

http://www.womenswallstreet.com/WWS/articl...1&articleid=711

It passes my smell test.

See was told they were Syrian.

 

[WingNaPrayer]

Far be it from me to grab an ounce of skepticism, or read a chunk of gossip with interest, but this entire story reads like short fiction.

While Annie Jacobsen may be a seasoned financial writer for WWS, I get the impression in this article that she may have let her flair for the dramatic get the best of her on this one. Like many travelers who see what they consider to be "muslim" passengers on planes with them, they always expect, and imagine the worst possible scenarios.

I'd like to see beyond the article. Where did the gentlemen go upon returning to New York via JetBlue? Did they leave the country? On which carrier? If they just crossed the continent and back for what appears to be no reason, then it is entirely possible that they were testing the waters so to speak just to see what they were able to do on board an aircraft these days.

We'll just have to hope this isn't one that ends up being material they will make a tv movie of the week out of.

 

[scot]

Since this happened on a NW flight, and has been posted on several boards, please continue the discussion ON THE NW BOARD HERE.