Michelle Malkin » TERROR IN THE SKIES (CONTINUED)

TERROR IN THE SKIES (CONTINUED)

By Michelle Malkin • July 16, 2004 09:41 AM

Regarding Annie Jacobsen’s intriguing article, I just got word from Dave Adams of the Federal Air Marshals Service (FAM). Adams confirmed that he spoke to Annie Jacobsen, was quoted accurately in her story, and confirmed some of the basic facts outlined in her article (there were 14 Syrians on the flight; they were questioned by the Los Angeles Police Department, FBI, FAM, and so on; they were a musical band).

Update: I agree with many readers that some skepticism is still warranted, especially if this is the same Annie Jacobsen that wrote the piece. (Update to the update: James Taranto notes that the Jungian Annie lives in Toronto, not Los Angeles). Another quick thought: Building a bomb in mid-air using 14 operatives to take down one plane seems like a rather inefficient means of terrorism. If al Qaeda has been driven to such pathetic plots, maybe (no thanks to Norm Mineta) we really are getting somewhere.

Update II: By the way, my friend and Philly talk show host Michael Smerconish was the first to pick up on the idiotic policy that Jacobsen mentions which punished airlines for pulling over more than two Arab/Muslim passengers for secondary questioning. More info here, including Smerconish’s testimony about what 9/11 commissioner and former Navy Secretary John Lehman told him.

Update III: Good discussion at Ace of Spades and via Volokh, Jeff the Baptist thinks the Syrians were just praying. Hmmmm. Thomas Galvin had his own experience observing a passenger with “an oblong object wrapped in cloth.” Via Daniel Drezner, here’s the February 2004 London Observer article on intelligence related to mid-air bomb plots. David Horowitz had an eyebrow-raising flight experience last month.

Update IV: The always incisive Michele Catalano writes:

If this story is real and these men were what Annie thought they were, it’s a frightening story, indeed. Enough to make me start doing that nervous twitch everytime a plane flies a bit too low over my house. I thought I got rid of that twitch.

The more I write about it (as I’m reading other bloggers’ reactions to the story while I compose this), the more I think, why not? They keep saying they’re going to do something, why would I think this story is not true?

Again, I don’t want it to be true. The implications are not something I can let my brain chew on right now. Head, meet sand.

But what if? What if they were making a dry run? You can’t really protect the country by dealing in what ifs. So what’s the solution? Or is there one? And what do you make of this story?

Update V: Just a side note. The air marshals’ spokesman, Dave Adams, was a bit defensive in confirming the story, which seems to lend unsettling credence to Jacobsen’s account, in my opinion. Also, I’ve been trying to get a hold of the p.r. reps for WomensWallStreet.com. A receptionist said they’ve been swamped with calls since this morning. Am hoping this means my colleagues in the mainstream media are digging into the story, too.

Posted in: Airline Security, Annie Jacobsen, Norm Mineta

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#1952

On July 17th, 2004 at 6:34 am, Rick Z said:

Tim Keller: Interesting how you compare the Yellow Star of David (symbol of The Holocaust) to the visual scrutiny, paranoid or no, Jacobsen gave to fellow passengers. Gas chambers versus “unfair” looking. Nice job. Is it our paranoia to believe a “religion” which has its “leadership” continually scream out “Death to Jews” and “Death to America,” and the majority within its ranks believe it? Or is it our insipid inanity to not believe it?

Forrest: “If the Air Marshals were made up of people like those who of you who said you would have jumped into action, the US would been even less safe, as your actions would cause even more of the world to hate us.” Truthfully, I’m not asking “them” to love us. Just have mullahs stop preaching from mosques to kill the infidel, and mean it. They can snuggle with us after the third date.
#1953

On July 17th, 2004 at 6:40 am, jb said:

Here’s a thought: If the crews of the 9/11 flights had been armed with pistols – game over.

We arm even our armoured-car drivers, and the Brinks dude isn’t exactly your rocket scientist type. Isn’t human cargo a bit more valuable than cash? Airline pilots should not only be offered arms, but MANDATED to be trained and carry them! They don’t like it…too bad, get a different job pal!

The Israeli national airline has armed marshalls on EVERY flight (they have never suffered a related terror attack…despite the near-daily seige by radical Palestinians on the ground), but not in the US. We are told that’s not logistically feasible, which supports my armed pilots argument.

Here we are almost 3 years later, and only a small percentage of US flights have armed pilots on them. Again, thanks to Norm Mineta. DOT has made the requirements and training for armed pilots absurdly extensive and burdensome, to the effect that many pilots haven’t had the time to undergo it. Mineta’s agenda is the typical liberal mantra: “guns = bad”. Bush needs to remove Mineta, yesterday.