A MYSTERY IN THE SKIES (Michelle Malkin tells of a foiled airline terror plot)

Michelle Malkin's Blog ^ | January 14, 2005 | Michelle Malkin

[Stoat]

[jazzlite]

"I believe that true security rests in the individual vigilance of a proud and free people who are not dependent on a nanny state to look out for their welfare or safety. I hope you agree."

How I do agree!! A national "neighborhood watch" would be a great development. Michelle Malkin is a wonderful, intelligent journalist, who is watching out for her country and for all of us.

[Jet Jaguar]

ping

[Jaysun]

The passengers began to board, and he and his partner noticed a single Middle Eastern man sitting near the front of first class. After a number of passengers had boarded, two Middle Eastern men walked by this man and made eye contact, but said nothing. They sat down together in the front of coach class. Shortly thereafter, two other Middle Eastern men also walked by the man in first class and made eye contact without speaking. They sat near the back of coach class.

Racial profiling. I'll forever stand in support of the sensible practice.

[drt1]

One other note. Besides early boarding having the Marshals sit together would seem to be a tip off and a weakness in that a single shooter would have both in his sites at the same time.

[1FASTGLOCK45]

I was watching a cleanup crew coming out of an airplane while i was waiting for my own plane, and i wondered the same thing, Why isn't there someone supervising these people?

[Cindy]

Thank you Jet.
I'll have to read that today.

[Quilla]

Interesting post. (I see you fulfilled your duty to our gentleman freepers by providing pictures. Kudos to you)

If every incident of this nature was widely publicized, more flight attendants and individuals could spot potential terrorist activity. Granted, it may scare a few away from flying, but I thing the benefits would greatly outweigh any damage to the industry.

[durasell]

Yes, and my denist told me that one of his patient's cousins invented a car engine that runs on urine and gets 95 miles to the pee. He's being held in a secret gov't prison along with the guy who invented a ballpoint pen that never runs out of ink and the woman who developed socks that stay together in the dryer so that one of them can never be lost...

[mudblood]

I didn't know this woman's name. My wife and I love this lady (Michelle Malkin). Whenever she comes on, we immediately stop talking and turn up the volume - she's a pitbull, she's eloquent, she talks a great talk.

[R. Scott]

I believe that true security rests in the individual vigilance of a proud and free people who are not dependent on a nanny state to look out for their welfare or safety.

As do I.
Who’s the lady?

[SpyGuy]

Racial profiling. I'll forever stand in support of the sensible practice.

Don't fall into the liberal trap. It's not "racial profiling," it's "criminal profiling." The criminal profile may be based on any number of factors (and, in fact, is usually based on several or more), of which a person's race is just one factor to consider.

[yoe]

"A national "neighborhood watch" would be a great development."

I couldn't agree more and that includes racial profiling by the airlines as well - they are restricted from doing so now and that is just plain stupid. Air Marshall’s should NOT have a dress code – that is also stupid.

[Stoat]

Who’s the lady?

Michelle Malkin - About

 I began my career in newspaper journalism more than a decade ago as an editorial writer and columnist for the Los Angeles Daily News (1992-94).  Covered school board meetings and pole sign ordinances. Exposed Rep. Maxine Waters' gang-infested job-training center boondoggle. Received a death threat from the Mexican mafia. Moved to the Pacific Northwest and worked at the Seattle Times from 1996 to 1999. Wrote editorials supporting a repeal of the death tax. Opposed editorial board on everything else. Exposed Gov. Gary Locke's Buddhist temple cash connections. Opposed publisher and supported successful campaign to abolish race-based affirmative action in government hiring, contracting, and college admissions. Quit job and moved to Washington, D.C.

My column, now syndicated by Creators Syndicate, appears in nearly 200 papers nationwide. My first book, Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals, and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores (Regnery 2002), was a New York Times bestseller.

Other: Fox News Channel contributor. Oberlin College grad. Philadelphia-born. South Jersey-raised. I live with my husband and two children in Maryland. Reach me via e-mail at malkin@comcast.net.

[freepersup]

Box cutters ? Either box cutters are THE tool of the (terrorist) trade... or:

1- Someone at the airport is using box cutters in their normal and customary practice, therefore they are plentiful and inconspicuous, permitting access to them and not drawing attention to their presence...

2- Bull malarkey... as in, if agents of terror are going to plant weapons onboard an airline these days, they better have more than a box cutter on them as they will be pummeled senseless by any item available to the crews, the passengers and in a scenario such as this, the ventilating devices that the US Air Marshalls happen to be packing.

I'd tend to buy this story (only slightly more) if ceramic daggers or knives were discovered hidden in the overhead bins.

[batenkaitos]

Being of , er, "tall, dark, and somewhat scary-looking" appearance, I tend to get taken aside a lot and questioned whenever I fly here in the US. I don't mind this, but I do think it's often open to human fallacies, where untrained security guards or (understandably) suspicious passengers take it upon themselves to get a bit overenthusiastic.

Anecdotes don't really mean anything, of course, but a few months ago, I was forced to miss my flight because one of the other passengers saw me fiddling with my iPod in my bag and automatically assumed that I was up to something, and I had to be taken back for another round of screeningwith security.

[Stoat]

 

I'd tend to buy this story (only slightly more) if ceramic daggers or knives were discovered hidden in the overhead bins.

"Update: The idea that terrorist operatives might be trying to smuggle razor blades as weapons onto planes is not pure fantasy. Last April, Pakistani illegal alien Fazal Karim was convicted on charges of carrying and attempting to carry concealed dangerous weapons in air transportation and of making false statements about his immigration status. Security officials at Dallas/Ft. Worth airport found 32 double-edged razor blades tucked in a coiled belt inside a cardboard box in Fazal Karim's carry-on luggage. "

[Jaysun]

Don't fall into the liberal trap. It's not "racial profiling," it's "criminal profiling." The criminal profile may be based on any number of factors (and, in fact, is usually based on several or more), of which a person's race is just one factor to consider.

I've not fallen for their screed. I think the federal air marshals initially took notice of those guys because they were Middle Eastern (aren't all terrorist these days) and I applaud them for that. Had the marshals been liberals they might well have passed them over to shake down some 80 year old Irish guy just to be "fair".

[pageonetoo]

Are you visiting us, today. You would probably fit better over at DU! I see you have been around since September... but this sounds like you're "just visiting" to post troll-like thoughts!

Maybe you don't believe their were hijackers that drove airplanes into buildings... or you don't believe there are actually people who wish to do it again! Either way, your head is looking for sunshine!!!

[Stoat]