Report Confrims Terror Dry Run (in 04 by Syrian musicians)

The Washington Times ^ | May 30 | Audrey Hudson

[PghBaldy]

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. According to the Homeland Security report, the "suspicious passengers," 12 Syrians and their Lebanese-born promoter, were traveling on Flight 327 from Detroit to Los Angeles on expired visas. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services extended the visas one week after the June 29, 2004, incident. The report also says that a background check in the FBI's National Crime Information Center database, which was performed June 18 as part of a visa-extension application, produced "positive hits" for past criminal records or suspicious behavior for eight of the 12 Syrians, who were traveling in the U.S. as a musical group. In addition, the band's promoter was listed in a separate FBI database on case investigations for acting suspiciously aboard a flight months earlier. He was detained a third time in September on a return trip to the U.S. from Istanbul, the details of which were redacted.

[PghBaldy]

It's worse than I thought back then - bunch of Arab criminals on expired visas. Once again, evidence DHS is in over its head.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

They never admit this stuff until years later.

What's with that?

[PghBaldy]

Please delete if nec... I now see why my search for title was a neg - I misspelled a word!

[Diogenesis]

Details redacted? Friend of Clinton? Was Sandy Burgler there?

[mtbopfuyn]

The men were briefly detained, but only two were questioned. "The Federal Air Marshal supervisor examined the visas, but did not notice the visas had expired on June 10, 2004... It's unfortunate that the suspects were released from custody, but it's not surprising

Thanks so much for this update. I've thought about it quite often and wondered what the real story was - like we hadn't already suspected as much. However, I consider it a bit more than merely unfortunate these monsters were released without much ado. Disgusting how our government is turning the country, lock, stock, and barrel over to crimminals and terrorists.

[xcamel]

Oh really?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1841807/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1841471/posts

[3AngelaD]

This is amazing. "According to the Homeland Security report, the "suspicious passengers... were traveling on expired visas."

So, then, "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services EXTENDED the visas one week AFTER the June 29, 2004, incident." But wait. "The Federal Air Marshal supervisor examined the visas, but DID NOT NOTICE the visas had expired on June 10, 2004," the report said. One of the air marshals assigned to the flight noticed the expiration, but "erroneously believed he was not legally entitled" to run a background check.

And finally, big surprise, "Terrorist operatives are more confident that they can successfully smuggle [bomb] components, rather than fully assembled bombs past airport security," the memo said. "It is conceivable terrorists may plan to use this private area to construct [bombs] in order to facilitate access to the cockpit, or position themselves in front of the passengers."

[AngelesCrestHighway]

We are still at extreme risk when we travel by air. The government tells you, “don’t worry about it, just let the airlines make their money and if we lose a few more planes later and hundreds of citizens, then we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it”...great just f’ing great!

[3AngelaD]

Remember how the female passengers who reported this to the media were dissed and made fun of at the time? Why don’t I feel safer?

[3AngelaD]

Oh, and I forgot my primary question: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

[pbear8]

Annie Jacobsen, you can re-read her account at www.WomensWallStreet.com .

[WOSG]

Dang, what a disappointment ... I was hoping to hire them for my wedding!

(I wish I didnt need this, but - sarcasm/joke alert)

[STARWISE]

"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.

Homeland Security officials initially denied the complaints and blamed passengers who reported the incident to the press as behaving hysterically. However, the inspector general report shows that air marshals had the group of men under surveillance before they boarded the plane."

OUTRAGEOUS !!

And, Annie Jacobson who was a passenger with her family on that flight and wrote extensively about it, was thoroughly disdained, degraded, mocked and dissed for her correct deductions.

Captain's Quarters take on it

~~~~

I'm starting to believe no one is really minding the store .. we are unbelievably burdened with a bunch of clock punchers on the frontlines of our security. Sickening .. and all the more proof that WE are the frontlines and must be alert.

[Monkey Face]

Everyone got your sidearms handy?

[Cecily]

My brother is an AA pilot. He and his fellow pilots are well aware of dry runs and probes, and have been for some time. The same can probably be said for flight attendants too.

[Lady Jag]

The crystal ball says it
has to do with money

[STARWISE]

Hi LJ! How pathetically true, huh?

[SE Mom]

Isn’t this unbelievable?

And keep in mind- these are the agencies the government want to use to enforce the new immigration bill....

[bboop]

Well, now, such a surprise. We at FR knew all along. Truly, FR and the blogs are the place where the Truth comes out.

[Lady Jag]

Yeah, don’t get me going on the rationing of the flu vaccine for the rich and famous when it would be so easy for us all to get it - but it’s not profitable enough.