Posted on 01/09/2002 3:39:27 AM PST by Byron_the_Aussie
US President George W. Bush is sceptical about American Airlines' claim that it removed an Arab-American agent in Bush's security team from a plane for being "hostile".
"I know the man, I am most appreciative of his service to me and my wife. He is an honorable fellow," Bush said.
"I would be surprised if he was hostile."
The US Secret Service, which is responsible for presidential security, said in late December it had launched an inquiry into why the agent, headed to Texas to protect a holidaying Bush, was removed from the aircraft.
The agent, speaking through his lawyers, said he was barred from the Baltimore (Maryland) to Dallas (Texas) flight because of his ethnicity, amid fears sparked by the September 11 terrorist strikes.
"If he was mistreated because of his ethnicity, I'm going to be plenty hot. That means angry," Bush said.
But he added: "I wasn't there, so it's hard for me to comment on something which I did not see."
How is the pilot sure of any of this ? All he knows for certain is some angry guy is on his plane who refuses to fly without his gun. The guy could have come from anywhere.
Also, just because he got through different security doesn't mean he is who he says he is.
After they close the door to the plane he had better be very certain.
Or it could have been avoided if he stowed his gun.
Notice that he himself has not said much, if anything, directly--everything has been coming from the lawyers and from CAIR...
-penny
This reminds me of a flight I took recently from a very small airport. I checked my bags with a guy that took in about 4 people. We went back and forth about what size carry-on I could take.
When it came time to board, he was taking the tickets too. He pulled me aside "at random" and asked for my ID again when he had just looked at it about an hour earlier.
I think it came out later that was a phony story put out by the White House to deflect criticism that Bush was not at his duty station until the danger passed….The story is false and the WH admitted it was false later, and the media dropped it….
They looked straight into the camera and told a lie to the American people? …
the threat against AF1 was likely the figment of a staffers imagination…
Wrongo. You people all need to get your facts straight.
The WH never “admitted” it was false, because it was demonstrably not false. The media dropped it because they (and Marty Meehan) were insinuating it was false, and they all looked like idiots.
The air traffic controllers themselves were relaying the information to the Administration that they believed a plane was headed for the White House.
By the time the plane was 14 miles from the White House, a countdown began in the tense control room. “Ten miles west. Nine miles west. Our supervisor picked up our line to the White House and started relaying to them the information, we have an unidentified very fast-moving aircraft inbound toward your vicinity, eight miles west,’’ Ms O’Brien said. “And it went six, five, four. And I had it in my mouth to say, three, and all of a sudden the plane turned away.”
Not flying again if I can help it. Soon they are going to tattoo all passengers for security, strip them naked; give them enemas and shave their heads to make sure nothing is hidden; heavily sedate them and manacle them to the seats! Electric shocks will be applied when they arrive at their destinations. Is it safe? You bet! Fly Dr Mengele's Airline today!
I have read reports that the pilot tried to verify the agent's identity, but I have not seen satisfactory detail as to exactly who he called what he was told and where obtained the contact information.
This case has the feel of a situation where key facts have not yet come out.
It's not as if law enforcement officers just began flying with weapons yesterday. There are well established procedures for this. American Airlines is one of the biggest airlines in the world and has many security people who know exactly how this is done and identity is verified. This agent was screened before he got on the plane. The system is designed so the screening is done in advance and the pilot does not have to take time to do this.
So why is this pilot floundering around trying to invent his own verification procedure? Did he not know the procedure? Did American screw up the initial clearance? Did the pilot have reason to think there was a security lapse? Did the pilot not know who he could contact with American security who could deal with this? Did no one at American have contact information to verify law enforcement identity? Why was the pilot trying to rerun all the security clearances from the cockpit? It seems to me there are two likely scenarios: Pilot had reason to believe American and/or airport security screwed up; or out of nervousness based on the officer's ethnicity Pilot decided he wanted to personally verify the officer's identity but didn't know how to do it and didn't know who at his company to call for help.
American blaming the agent for "hostility" conveniently deflects these questions.
Not my point at all. One can either believe the airline's story or the agent's story; at this point I don't know what happened and will not jump to conclusions. However, if it turns out the agent's story is truthful, I submit the pilot made an egregious error in judgment by booting the agent. And claiming the pilot has final authority (which he legally does) will not negate his poor decision.
As I said, I don't know which story is the accurate one at this point. It appears the USSS and American are investigating - in the meantime, all we have is speculation.
Are there any limits to the pilot's discretion? If it's found his decision-making was poor, can American take disciplinary action? Can the government?
It's not as if law enforcement officers just began flying with weapons yesterday. There are well established procedures for this.I've seen this stated a few times in this thread which leads me to this question: Didn't Bill Clinton sign an executive order or some such saying that law enforcement officials could NOT carry firearms on flights anymore? Now don't get me wrong I don't agree with it but I am almost positive that Slick Willy pulled that one off and if that is indeed the case then the answer is no, law enforcement officials have not been flying armed for a number of years now, so the airlines probably ar enot familiar with this...
Sounds like the hysterical, lunatic ravings of an emotionally unstable buffoon.
Well, let's say the numbers are wrong by a factor of 10. Does 40,000 to 60,000 Islamists among us make you feel better?
Your quotes from the Pipes article are appropriate except there are many more to consider. I hope you scrolled down far enough to see this:
* Beef up aircraft profiling - the practice of looking at passengers' ethnic and religious characteristics.
America's Fifth Column ... watch PBS documentary JIHAD! In America
Download 8 Mb zip file here (60 minute video)
Oh. OK. In that case, we're talking a shot of thorazine, rather than a straight-jacket.
Bush is a way too nice of a guy, but better than any democrate.
According to a recent news article FBI (and presumably Secret Service) have been carrying on flights for "several years."
http://cas.faa.gov/readingroom/circulars/carweap.html#top
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