Originally Posted by Bart

I can understand the fears that people feel whenever someone acts in a manner they perceive as unusual. In that regard, I have no criticism of how Annie Jacobsen perceived the events of that flight as they occurred. However, the authorities did follow up on it; the individuals were questioned; background checks were made; everything checked out. I don't know how much access Annie Jacobsen had to these facts before publishing here paranoid article. Obviously, she didn't do much research, or, if she did, only did enough research to justify her paranoia. So much for her sense of journalistic integrity.

Which brings us to the publishers of the WomensWallStreet.com web site. You would think that a web site that posts information about investments (assuming that's what it does) or any other information for public consumption would have an editorial process in place to ensure articles are properly researched and confirmed by at least one other independent source before publishing that information. Even though this was characterized as an editorial, it was reported like a factual account. And even though the editors published a disclaimer upfront about their little anguish over whether or not to publish the article, they still mentioned her position in their company which, right or wrong, gave her a sense of credibility.

My observation is that the FAMs acted calmly and professionally. They did not overreact to the behavior observed on the flight of these men, but they did notify their counterparts on the ground so that these men could be interrogated and have their backgrounds checked. They also checked the lavatories afterwards, interviewed witnesses and inspected the Syrians' luggage. Again, everything checked out. What more does anyone expect to be done? Where do we draw the line between reasonable checks and unreasonable intrusion?

However, Annie Jacobsen wasn't satisfied with any of this and went on to publish her article laced with paranoia and hints of government cover-up. Well, she got her 15 minutes. What a shame she had to resort to distorting facts and playing on people's fears to achieve it.

Originally Posted by Fredd

The story still has legs:

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20...1403-1508r.htm

Scouting jetliners for new attacks

By Audrey Hudson
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Flight crews and air marshals say Middle Eastern men are staking out airports, probing security measures and conducting test runs aboard airplanes for a terrorist attack.

At least two midflight incidents have involved numerous men of Middle Eastern descent behaving in what one pilot called "stereotypical" behavior of an organized attempt to attack a plane.

Originally Posted by GUWonder

Scouting Dunkin Donuts for new attacks

This story still has legs:

http://www.washingtimes.com/toiletse...1403-1508r.htm

By G U Wonder
THE WASHING TIMES

Police officers and FBI agents say Middle Eastern men are staking out Dunkin Donuts, probing food safety measures and conducting test runs through the drive-in window to see how many heart attacks they can succeed in causing.

At least two midnight incidents have involved numerous men of Middle Eastern descent behaving in what one police officer called "stereotypical" behavior of an organized attempt to induce multiple attacks on the heart.

Originally Posted by GUWonder

Scouting Dunkin Donuts for new attacks

Originally Posted by flyin high

Some people don't have a clue, don't mind being herded like sheep on to planes and make comments like yours.

Originally Posted by GUWonder

Sounds like normal behavior to me when someone wants to go to the bathroom and doesn't know if they can hold it in until the plane lands and gets to the gate. Add in the time to deplane and get to a restroom in the terminal and I think I would be doing exactly what they are doing until the FAs told me otherwise.

Originally Posted by Spiff

"The men, who were not on terrorist watch lists, were released, although their information and fingerprints were added to a database. The group had been hired as musicians to play at a casino, and the booking, hotel accommodations and return flight to New York from Long Beach, Calif., also checked out, Mr. Adams said.
"We don't know if it was a dry run, that's why we are working together with intelligence and investigative agencies to help protect the homeland," he said. "

"A third pilot reported watching a man of Middle Eastern descent at the same airport using binoculars to get airplane tail numbers and writing the numbers in a notebook to correspond with flight numbers.
"It's a probe. They are probing us," said a second air marshal, who confirmed that Middle Eastern men try to flush out marshals by rushing the cockpit and stopping suddenly."

I'm really not seeing any credible evidence here other than the guy who supposedly tried to dig through the wall.

Those ballast marshals ought to be flushed however. I think they're making up a lot of these stories just to keep their stolen seats in the premium cabins.

Originally Posted by Spiff

Welcome to FlyerTalk, flyin high.

Perhaps you could quote the person whose comments you're referring to? There have been a lot of comments posted in this thread.

Originally Posted by flyin high

Yours!!..and thank's for the welcome. Your comments are what promted me to register.

Originally Posted by flyin high

The problem is, your thinking!! It doesn't look good on your part when you make comments about something you evidently don't know anything about.

Originally Posted by Spiff

Care to explain?

Originally Posted by HeHateY

And no, the casino where they were scheduled to play has not been publicly identified, so how it "checks out" I know not.

Originally Posted by flyin high

These "stories", aren't made up by marshal's. The stories are written by and or reported by regular passengers. Mrs Jacobson's article is a prime example. You dont' hear of reports by marshal's other than what needs to be corrected to ensure their safety; ie dress code. F.L.E.O.A is the organization bringing this to light, not individual marshal's. Congress mandated the FAM program as it is today, post 9/11. Wouldn't it be better to work with them and promote confidence in traveling public than to berate the people who are there to to protect the aircraft? Most people, including me, like knowing they are there.

Originally Posted by MikeLaw

I thought that was the whole point of this thread. The article identified the casino in question as "Sycuan Casino & Resort, near San Diego" and the musical act as well. Given that the management that booked the act confirmed their band was on the flight, I'd say the mystery is pretty well solved, unless there were two groups of a dozen Arab musicians on the same flight and Ms. Jacobson failed to mention that.