The Washington Times has more information on the incident where the Imams were removed from US Airways Flight 300, 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."
Now, if this isn't enough to at least alert airline personell after 9/11, then they would not be doing their job. But it goes farther than that. These Imams continued to act in a suspicious nature.
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.
A flight attendant said one of the men made two trips to the rear of the plane to talk to the imam during boarding, and again when the flight was delayed because of their behavior. Aviation officials, including air marshals and pilots, said these actions alone would not warrant a second look, but the combination is suspicious.
"That's like shouting 'fire' in a crowded theater. You just can't do that anymore," said Robert MacLean, a former air marshal.
One other point of note, is that although statements have been made that a couple of the Imams has upgraded to first class, this is noted to be a lie.
The imams who claimed two first-class seats said their tickets were upgraded. The gate agent told police that when the imams asked to be upgraded, they were told no such seats were available. Nevertheless, the two men were seated in first class when removed.
Without being privvy to the Imams thought processes, we can only guess at their reasoning. Could this have been a practice run to see how these actions would be perceived? Could this have been an attempt to deliberately create a situation that would, in effect, intimidate an airline from reacting to suspicous activities?
I am going to repost something here to remind people why an airline MUST act as US Airways did, every time.
Quick little fact check here:
1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by:
Arab extremist between the ages of 17 and 40
In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and
massacred by:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year old
American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to
take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed
into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed by the
passengers.Thousands of people were killed by:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.
In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
Muslim male extremist s mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
2004 - Spain Railway bombings:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
2005 London Railway bombings:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
August 2006: Terror Plot Foiled In London. --U.S. counterterrorism officials say United, American and Continental Airlines were targets of the plot, described by a top British police official as "intended to be mass murder on an unimaginable scale."
November 2006: Plot to bomb passenger plane in Germany uncovered.
November 2006: Suspicious airline passenger to stay locked up.--A federal judge overturned a lower ruling Monday and ordered detention for a man stopped at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with articles about nuclear plants and suitcase bombs and the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
No pattern here huh?
I will repeat, those that cannot understand how we may be a "tad" sensitive to behavior that indicates a possible terrorist threat on our Airlines.... THE HELL WITH YOU.
US Airways did the right thing and should be commended for it, not condemned.
Others Discussing this:
Power Line, Captain's Quarters, Right Wing Nut House, Michelle Malkin, Outside The Beltway, Stop The ACLU, Sister Toldjah, Hyscience, Preemptive Karma, PoliPundit.com, Jihad Watch, Bill's Bites, The Corner, Ed Driscoll.com, PrairiePundit and JunkYardBlog
My related Posts:
Muslims Removed from Plane and CAIR.
Spoon Fed Hatred, Morning, Noon and Night.
The Nature of our Enemy.