Two Men Of Yemeni Decent Board Flight From Detroit To Amsterdam With "Mock" Explosives In Their Luggage On What Appears To Be A Successful "dry run" Of A Terror Attack
Two men, Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al Soofi and Hezem al Murisi, one a Yemeni living in Detroit and one a Yemeni in the U.S. on an expired visa, were allowed to board a plane in Detroit headed for Amsterdam, even after one had been found to have mock bombs, large knives and box cutters in his stowed baggage.
These contents were discovered at an airport in Alabama where al Soofi had started his trip, after suspicions on the part of TSA agents had triggered a secondary screening. He was then found to have $7,000 in cash in addition to the weapons in his luggage.
The mock bombs consisted of cell phones and watches taped to plastic bottles of various sizes, components that are typically used in IEDs. Because the materials did not include any explosives, the trip from Alabama to Detroit was allowed, as was the flight from Detroit.
Apparently mock IEDs as well as large amounts of cash coupled with a final destination of a country, Yemen, now considered to be the hotbed of terrorist training and activity, is not enough to prevent air travel according to the TSA.
Making the story even more incredible, alarming, scary and infuriating is the fact that al Soofi was first scheduled on a flight from Detroit to a final destination of Yemen through Dulles, having his bags placed on that plane. At the last moment he switched his ticket to one for Amsterdam with his bags apparently staying on the flight headed for Dulles.
TSA Missteps To Numerous To Mention
While this incident is indeed alarming, what is more alarming is the ineptitude of the TSA in so many areas concerning this case and undoubtedly others like it that we don't hear about. How safe is the flying public, and at an annual budget in the neighborhood of $8 billion a year, is the American public getting it's monies worth?
The answer to that question is a resounding no!
Comments
I guess I don't see the problem with allowing someone to fly with non explosives...
I guess you should fly with these men every flight...,This is how the system is tested and at one point there will be explosives....
Terror suspects no more: 2 Yemeni men freed
But the damage is done to reputations, attorney says
Read more: Terror suspects no more: 2 Yemeni men freed | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/20100902/NEWS06/9020477/1319/Terror-suspect...
I think we had better get ready for trouble. Acquire lead and and something to propell it downrange....keep it handy, keep your eyes open...and report unusual activities.
With this clown-circus administration, I expect and apology is in the wings for these two guys. Maybe they can join with Imam Obama at the White House for a beer summit with the other flying Imams....?
do you ever wake up happy? maybe it's time for you to call dr. kevorkian...you seem to have nothing to live for.
Michael, your analysis is mostly correct, but in fact, there is no way that these "devices" were not found in the TSA's baggage check process (my husband worked there for 5 years). These guys were allowed to fly because the TSA knew the stuff was benign and that this was a test -- these happen all the time, most are not publicized. The TSA notified the Dutch and let them do the arrest, probably to avoid a PR problem back here, given the Mosque tensions, etc., or to facilitate international cooperation on this stuff. The TSA rarely publicizes the items it finds and people it successfully profiles, because to do so would reveal their techniques. It can be frustrating for TSA workers because they cannot correct inaccurate reports.
that fits in to what I was thinking...I was thinking that it was allowed to go further to expose as much as possible.
Michael's innuendoes would be more credible if he had someone check his articles for spelling errors.
I work for tsa and in all actuality they did not accomplish their goal. We are here to deter terrorists. Not cash and cell phones and box cutters. None of those items are illegal. Box cutters are only not permitted in ones carry-on luggage. As usual the media wants to falsely alarm the public. If they had accomplished their goal we would not be reading about it but rather celebrating the lives of the deceased passengers.
The focus needs to be on the nonchalant attitude of the airlines who's bottom line is the dollar they make on making sure these flights are on time. Why wasn't he questioned about his visa status? That is not tsa's responsibility. The tsa followed its guidelines and notified the proper hierarchy. The men/cowards were stopped and all is well for now. Writers like yourself are incompetent you should write the facts not your jaded view as to what you believed happened. The officers that work for the tsa, my coworkers, are this countries first line of defense. We get attacked everyday and deter attacks no matter how small everyday. You should focus on that.
hip hip hooray nothing happened...You guys did a bang up job. Glad you think the public would not have a concern for expired visa, phones taped to useless bottles.. Oh yeah and box cutters...How do we know that it just wasn't missed.. Kinda like the serical killer trying to get back to Telaviv...Opsie
Even before 9/11 it was a federal crime to joke with airline officials about carrying a gun or weapon. How is this not a joke at the very least.
What's much more alarming is how you got a job writing articles. You're obviously an complete idiot.
"a" complete idiot, or "an idiot", sorry.
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