The Washington Times reports that those ullulating imams removed from a US Airways flight from Minneapolis to Phoenix
Muslim religious leaders removed from a Minneapolis flight last week exhibited behavior associated with a security probe by terrorists and were not merely engaged in prayers, according to witnesses, police reports and aviation security officials.
Witnesses said three of the imams were praying loudly in the concourse and repeatedly shouted “Allah” when passengers were called for boarding US Airways Flight 300 to Phoenix.
“I was suspicious by the way they were praying very loud,” the gate agent told the Minneapolis Police Department.
Passengers and flight attendants told law-enforcement officials the imams switched from their assigned seats to a pattern associated with the September 11 terrorist attacks and also found in probes of U.S. security since the attacks — two in the front row first-class, two in the middle of the plane on the exit aisle and two in the rear of the cabin.
“That would alarm me,” said a federal air marshal who asked to remain anonymous. “They now control all of the entry and exit routes to the plane.”
A pilot from another airline said: “That behavior has been identified as a terrorist probe in the airline industry.”..
According to witnesses, police reports and aviation security officials, the imams displayed other suspicious behavior.
Three of the men asked for seat-belt extenders, although two flight attendants told police the men were not oversized. One flight attendant told police she “found this unsettling, as crew knew about the six [passengers] on board and where they were sitting.” Rather than attach the extensions, the men placed the straps and buckles on the cabin floor, the flight attendant said.
The imams said they were not discussing politics and only spoke in English, but witnesses told law enforcement that the men spoke in Arabic and English, criticizing the war in Iraq and President Bush, and talking about al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.
All this sounds like their actions were calculated as a test of current flight security which, if they provoked a reaction, could opportunistically be used to complain about profiling.
Dominique R. Poirier
It’s enlightening, I think, to report on stories like this of these imams removed from a U.S. Airways’ flight.
I find the story somewhat weird and, as a matter of fact, it reminds me of another story – albeit different of that one – I learned about on yesterday. This is the story of an old Mong with two spouses. Yes, two spouses; a younger one, who is Chinese and live in France; and one his age living in United States, who would be Mong.
Well, it just happened that the old man was finally said to be successful in obtaining a Green Card after he lived during about 20 years in France, just a hundred yards from the place where I live by some coincidence. Actually, it happened that the same old Mong, which I never heard of before, repeatedly proposed me to rent the home were he lived here before he went to the United States. Why me? God knows. I’m not Asian, and I don’t know even a word in Mong or in Chinese.
Not so surprisingly, the old Mong barely spoke French, even though he lived here for so long and, according to all likelihood, he was unable to tell a word in English. Old Asians often have difficulties to learn the language of the country where they immigrated.
So it looks like the old Man just wanted to expatriate to the United States, late in life.
I finally understood yesterday that, in his endeavor, he was looking for a help from his “first” wife (the one who live in United States) in order to — guess what — eventually welcome his “second” one who is waiting in France meanwhile.
One may say that this anecdote is somewhat irrelevant. Nonetheless I find it similar at some regards. Don’t blame me.
Never Yet Melted » Flying Imams’ Linked to Terror
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