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An Air Marshal's View of Flight 327

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For much of the past month a fight has been raging in news reports and over the Internet about the behavior of 14 male Middle Eastern passengers on Northwest Airlines Flight 327 from Detroit to Los Angeles. Were the men terrorists casing the plane for a possible attack, as freelance journalist Annie Jacobsen suspected in a long article about the incident? Or were they, as the men said and federal investigators later concluded, a Syrian band on their way to a gig? (www.time.com) Más...

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old51crow
Matthew Thrasher 3
This is so eight years ago. What cellphone do you all have?
thuehl
Thomas Huehl 2
How do you think food production companies feel when ONE company takes a short-cut that results in a lot of people getting sick? For example, not too long ago there was a large amount of tomatoes that were found to have some kind of harsh chemical or bacteria in them... Yes sure they eventually figured out where the cause was and got rid of those tomatoes from that one company, but do you think that didn't effect the other suppliers?? If only it was just as easy to find and root out the bad people in this world...
smoki
smoki 1
Well one thing's for sure - Islamo-Nazis are bad people which they've more than adquately proven and seem quite proud to claim as their mantle. Racial profiling is what this article is really about which many posters seem eager to deny because we've been dumbed down by a liberal media to regard it with disdain as if we live in a perfect world where discrimination of any kind or amount is forbidden. That ain't gonna happen in this fallen world in which we live. Racial profiling has in fact been shown to be the most effective and easiest means by which to find and root out the bad people of the world without having to embarrass and offend a lot of innocent people as is done every day by the TSA's groping and fondling of passengers while bowing to the politically correct gods of the media. Shin Bet of El Al, the most targeted airline in the world for terrorism, has it down to a fine art. Had it been in use on 911, 911 would not now be a number that lives in infamy. The timing of this event is irrelevant. I suspect these people knew perfectly well what they were doing, that by drawing unnecessary attention to themselves they would be racially profiled as expected and wanted to rub people's noses in it when their innocence was ultimately declared. Hatred takes many forms.
alistairm
alistairm 2
I'm pretty sure that if it were a bunch of white guys, we would not be hearing about it. I like the part that describes one of the men going to the bathroom for 10 minutes, something that seemed suspicious to the FAM. Really? Really?? Maybe the guy was constipated or just takes his time to take a dump. I have been in the bathroom for 45 minutes with my daughter trying to calm her down and no one came knocking on the door. The woman who wrote the original article is obviously paranoid - thinking to much about 9/11, which can be understandable.
gbpack170
Jeremy Duvall 12
Would you of rather had the Air Marshal not do his job and investigate further? These times of being political correct and being afraid of profiling are over. The Arab community has brought this upon themselves. I know there are lots of good Arabs, just as lots of good Christians, Jews, or whatever religion is out there, but the radical Islamists have ruined it for everyone. Yes, question these folks and see what they are up to...No harm in questioning, is there?
jhoelz
Jerome Hoelz 1
Finally some common sense! That means some open minded, thinking, understanding, reasoning, people, like you, Jeremy exist (although I see and hear very few of them!), Thanks, Jerry
nickmoss
Nicholas Moss 1
What does being an Arab have to do with religion?

[This poster has been suspended.]

mhagerman
Mark Hagerman 3
They brought it on themselves by inaction. They should have rooted out these SOBs decades ago, and killed them.
mff500
Maybe you think a group of white men acting like that would go unnoticed. Then again you don't fly for a living and are not aware of training and awareness we are trained with. Not every plane has FAMS on board ready to assist in time of need. Correct procedure and vetting should have taken place prior to boarding by airline personel also trained to observe and passed on to flight crews. If there was a large goup of Middle Eastern men who are flying as is their priveledge the security checks and assurances used on all customers flying should have been done and then the flight crew should have been informed of their existence to assure and prevent any misconceptions that would offend anyone onboard and allow the flight crew to be informend and professional and able to do their duties to the best of their abilities. If any blame should be assesed it should be placed on those in the airline management and personel on the ground as well as TSA.
Oh by the way, if you were in there with your daughter for 45 minutes more than likely you would have been checked on the manifest to see your relationship to your daughter and other observations made by other Flight Attendants.
hiflier32
ric lang -2
MUCH BETTER TO HASSLE THESE JERKOFFS THAN TO HAVE ONE OF THEM PULL THE PIN ON ONE OF HIS SHOE HEELS. GOTTA REMEMBER, ISLAMISTS HATE ALL RELIGIONS OTHER THAN THEIRS, AND WOULD FEEL NO REGRET IN KILLING ALL OF THOSE RELIGIOUS PERSONS IF THEY JUST HAPPEN TO BE JIHADISTS....LOOK, THERE'S A TIME TO NOT BE POLITICALLY CORRECT! also would hate to be holding a yoke that suddenly isn't attached to anything!!!!

davidrbarnes
David Barnes 2
This is a 2004 article. Far from timely.
gradypilot
Walter Ferguson 1
On a flight from Portland to Houston recently, two men of ME appearance caused a distrubance on the flight when one lighted what turned out to be an electronic cigarrete. He refused to put it out when instructed by the Flight Crew. He and his companion are reported to have been yelling Allah Akbar when confronted by a group of passengers who assisted in subduing the one while he was cuffed.

I think that since 9/11 people in the main have decided that PC can take a backseat to personal and group safety when flying and have decided that just maybe it's better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission when deciding to act. Hesitation could prove deadly. It is 9/11, guys like these two and the actions of the 14 ME men recently that cause the "sensitivty" to those of ME appearance, a reaction that could be expected regardless of ethnicity.
bobolson
robert olson 1
you are spot on Jeremy Duvall.
smoki
smoki 1
There's nothing like a confrontation with men of ME extraction on an airplane to bring out it seems the worst in people on both sides of the political aisle including here. These dopes had to know that their behavior was causing concern among the FAs and Pax given their racial profile and the arabic writing on their clothing. That probably began in the waiting lounge area prior to the flight. While the government pukes hide behind a screen of political correctness when it comes to racial profiling, you can bet fellow passengers and flight crew have no qualms about using it and do. My guess is these people were probably knowingly pushing the envelope just for the sake of irritation because they too know that its normal human behavior to engage in mental racial profiling. The "real thing" would not have made a peep or a move until the time was right and then only once making sure not to draw unnecessary attention. I've seen plenty of pax use a lav for what seemed like an interminable amount of time especially when I had my eyes glued to the "occupied" sign awaiting my turn to jump up.
salk
susie kuppen 1
little bit paranoic ! and why is a 2004 article being recirculated in 2012....
old51crow
Matthew Thrasher 1
Cool, I learned a new word, "paranoic". I didn't believe until I looked it up. Now, how do pronounce it? Spellchecker chokes on it though. Cheers to you, Susie Kuppen. Seriously.
TheSkipster
TheSkipster 1
I don't care how long ago it was. It was a politically correct cover-up. A Syrian band on their way to a casino gig? Say what?
old51crow
Matthew Thrasher 1
Maybe they were really headed to Disney World and got lost. There's a Moroccan themed area with a restaurant at Epcot.
MD7
MD7 1
It is most definitely TIMELY. Hope we never forget for a moment what happened after the two men were allowed to pass thru the check point in Portland Maine on 9/11. Not the attendants fault; we were not trained nor experienced in this sickness (excuse) of religious insanity. Racial profiling is a GOOD fact of life. (Hopefully I don’t offend too many teenagers here but I bought an old beat up car. When driving my late model truck, I am never pulled over, or checked out. When I drive the old one, I have been, my wife also (she is foreign but became citizen) pulled over in it until the local authorities in my area, (especially weekends), became familiar with the old guy driving what looks like something a teen might party in. (Just a fact) RP and all manner of profiling happens daily, go to a bank dressed like a hobo see how long you spend with a loan officer. I am grateful for COMMON SENSE PEOPLE.

crk1…. Says “It's a pretty shitty world we live in when 14 Middle Eastern men can't take an innocent airline flight” I say GROW UP! Using that mentality I have to ask what crk1.. Stands for, perhaps CRACK? Hey these folks are successfully making air traffic safe.
I want to be sure they were not making a practice run. IF anything, we are too wimpy when it comes to this stuff. I hope they keep it up. I can live with a respectful environment and no nail clippers for a few hours; Unchecked, history repeats itself.
old51crow
Matthew Thrasher 1
What color is the sky in your world?

Pre-911 security at KPWM was a joke. I went through it many times. The people scanning your bags were white haired old men with minimal attention spans, more interested in having a friendly conversation you with about the contents of your luggage they were interested in; toy trains, christmas gifts, books, computers, fishing gear ..... etc. There was no focus on real security methods. After 911, they got some Vietnam era has beens in t-shirts to tuck their jean cuffs into their Vietnam era combat boots like they were paratroopers then march about aimlessly with walkie talkies. To their credit, KPWM security has improved by leaps and bounds today. IMHO, Pre-911 security at KPWM was absolutely guilty of failing to protect the public, as much as those involved in security at KBOS. To say that 'we weren't trained ...' only furthers the case of that KPWM security was guilty of incompetence. Only the clueless would have not considered there would be a second attempt on the WTC after the 1st failed attempt. Remember Bastogne, the enemy always counter attacks.

You do realize terrorist were able to get C4 on a plane in Las Vegas an detonate it 40 years ago in March of 1972? Why wasn't the level of security we experience today implemented after this incident? Don't hide behind an excuse of technology either with your answer.

Why in the world be would any teenager offended by your choice to buy an old beat up car? Did ever consider it was your driving or even possibly the un-safe condition of the vehicle that got you and your wife pulled over by cops? Was it clearly stated by the officer that you pulled over because of your choice to purchase an old beat up car, or did a disgruntled teenager inhumanely forced to drive a new car turn you all in?

The problem with today's methods of security is that they are not creating the respectful environment we'd all love to have. Its creating distrust, anger, frustration, selfishness, disrespect, ....
jpg366
john gay 1
old51crow
Matthew Thrasher 1
contagious Yawn.
tarbaby
phil gibson 1
What the hell! 2004?? Are you kidding me! It must be a really slow news day....or someone is really really bored. Come on!!
pugsy
lacy emily 1
Sure, the article old..

some of the racist and ignorant sentiments in this post are nothing new, however.
crk112
crk112 0
It's a pretty shitty world we live in when 14 Middle Eastern men can't take an innocent airline flight without a million white people causing a national panic about it.
burk
Robert Burkowski 2
It's a pretty shitty world we live in when 4 airliners are hijacked by
Middle Eastern men and... well you know.

[This poster has been suspended.]

mff500
Well stupidity abounds. My son is an American male of Irish heritage, who is currently fighting in Afghanistan for a year with his younger beother. He also fought in the invasion of Iraq for 14 months. He fights terrorist or those who would do harm to you and I on our own soil. He also fights for your freedom to write what you did. Oh by the way, did I mention he was raised Catholic and converted to Islam to marry a very beautiful Muslim girl and give me 2 georgous grandduaghters. I guess he can't fly !!
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 2
Guess the Irish shouldn't be allowed in cars either...
nickmoss
Nicholas Moss 2
No, Floridians shouldn't be allowed in cars.
nickmoss
Nicholas Moss 1
Please define a Muslim nationality.
flith
thor nibus 0
I usually dress in a blazer and trousers yet I'm stopped when I try to go from steerage to FC to use the loo. Why wasn't Jaheed Jumpsuit stopped?

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