Attempt to blow up airliner foiled

[soylent]

50 g PETN(almost 2 ounces). Most likely some kids playing around with a home-made device(this reflects poorely on AQ's level of competence).



This scale of device is clearly large enough to take off the would-be terrorist's leg, possibly rupture an ear drum or two. I don't believe the aircraft was in any danger.

 

[doobiedoright]

50 g PETN(almost 2 ounces). Most likely some kids playing around with a home-made device(this reflects poorely on AQ's level of competence).



This scale of device is clearly large enough to take off the would-be terrorist's leg, possibly rupture an ear drum or two. I don't believe the aircraft was in any danger.

All he had to do was blow a small hole in the plane and things could of gotten real bad real quick!

 

[Darth Rotor]

Go back about ten years and review George Carlin's comedy spiel about Airline Security, and "the three questions" bit, and this all makes sense. I have withdrawn my money from the income stream of the tourism industry, and the airlines industry, to the greatest extent I can. (Business trips I can't help). The airline industry can go hang.

The Hotel industry is likewise on my feces list.

I've stayed in Hotels when the Missus must have a trip to the Hill Country, or we are visiting a college with one of the kids, or if we are going to a tennis tournament or choir event (son or daughter), or if the MdC gets married, but otherwise, screw them all, and the extra taxes they have piled onto every night in a hotel room.

They can't screw with me if I don't pay to let them do so.

DR

 

[Ladewig]

Oh yes. Passengers were also not allowed to have any personal items in the last hour of the flight. No laptops, no books, magazines, pillows, blankets.. NOTHING.

Progress.
AP story

DALLAS – In-flight security rules have been eased after a two-day clampdown, airline officials familiar with the matter said Monday.

At the captain's discretion, passengers can once again have blankets and other items on their laps or move about the cabin during the tail end of flight. In-flight entertainment restrictions have also been lifted.

The airline officials spoke on condition of anonymity because federal safety officials had not publicly announced the changes.

 

[Brainster]

ABC News is reporting that the planning for the operation was done by two former Gitmo detainees, who were released on a program with the Saudis where the terrorists are dissuaded from terrorism by, no kidding, being given crayons and paints, and then released.

American officials agreed to send the two terrorists from Guantanamo to Saudi Arabia where they entered into an "art therapy rehabilitation program" and were set free, according to U.S. and Saudi officials.

And, no, this was not done under the touchy-feely liberal administration of Barack Obama, but under President Bush:

Guantanamo prisoner #333, Muhamad Attik al-Harbi, and prisoner #372, Said Ali Shari, were sent to Saudi Arabia on Nov. 9, 2007, according to the Defense Department log of detainees who were released from American custody.

Of course, we can argue (as I'm sure some will) whether they turned to terrorism only after their treatment at Guantanamo Bay. But as was noted after the Christmas incident, this may "complicate" Obama's plans to close the facilities there.

 

[truethat]

This kind of hit home for me.

In early November, I went to Germany to see my girlfriend. The flight back was a Delta flight going from Amsterdam to Detriot, and it landed at the same time.

When I fly, I tend to carry as little as possible. Just my laptop, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a deck of cards and reading materials. I stuff it all into my laptop backpack.

When I went through the gate, I had forgotten to take out my little plastic bag with my toothpaste and toothbrush in it out of the backpack, so it had to be searched.

The man proceeded to search the entire bag, pulling out pens and checking the deck of cards, etc. Then he picked up the zippered pouch that had my laptop power cords in it and put it on the table without opening it.

He kept searching the backpack until he found a tiny screwdriver. I mean one of those little things that is about the size of a pen. He held it in front of my face and in a very loud voice he said "NOT ALLOWED!!"

I apologized and said I forgotten to take it out when I started my trip. And kept quiet about the fact that no one had said word one about it when I came from the States to Germany in the first place.

"I SHALL THROW AWAY!!" Again, very loudly. I just nodded. He threw it in the garbage, then put all the stuff back in my backpack including the pouch that contains my power cords - something he hadn't even unzipped.

I was trying to keep a straight face because that pouch was big enough to easily hold a knife, a REAL screwdriver, or containers of liquids that could hold far more than 3 oz. In fact, it did hold the prescription pills and air sick pills I had to take at the time.

Now I'm seeing the news and it's the same flight (different day of course) and I can't help but wonder - if I got caught with a stupid small screwdriver, how the hell did this guy NOT get caught with explosives strapped to his legs???

...then I remember that the inspector didn't even bother checking a laptop cord bag.....

That's funny because when I was in Amsterdam they did the same thing. I had bought conch shells on my trip to Cyprus and in bringing them back to the states I'd wrapped them up in baby diapers. I thought this was clever but apparently not. They went through the entire suit case and stopped the line, they had security guards come down and a huge discussion. I think this was about whether or not the shells would qualify as bringing a natural thing back or something. Anyway at the end of all this uber security we get on the plane and they served us dinner with real metal silverware. The knife had a short serrated edge that could easily have cause serious damage. I was just?

 

[Starthinker]

Explosives sewn into his underwear? Guess he won't have the balls to do that again.

 

[Doubt]

I fly a lot. Done the trip from Amsterdam to Detroit a few times. One thing about the new security measures appears to be pretty stupid. It is the emphasis on the last hour of the flight.

Apparently, the guy was instructed to detonate the bomb over US territory. Flights coming into Detroit from Europe don't spend much time over US air space. Flying the great circle route puts the planes over Canada for most of their time over North America. Also the 4 major runways in Detroit run from the North East to the South West. Planes approaching Detroit Metro normally make their approach from the North East which means incoming planes from Europe hardly need to alter course for the landing approach. Given the close proximity to Canada, the planes are already setting up for landing when they cross the border.

So the last hour idea as a threat is circumvented by taking a flight from Europe to some place further into the US.

 

[Darth Rotor]

I'm a moderate road-warrior (averaging 50K miles per hear or thereabouts). I can't wait. When the day comes where we have to drop our pants, I'll be breaking out my Bozo the Clown underwear!

You, sir, are a Great American!

*hand salute*

(Loved the Kabuki observation as well. *claps*)

@ Redtail: Hasan didn't need to claim anything to support Unsecured Coins' point. The linkage between Major Hasan and the Islamist in Yemen is apparently (via news stories, which may be in some error I admit) reasonablly well established, in terms of him being influenced into action by a meme.

DR

 

[DGM]

. But as was noted after the Christmas incident, this may "complicate" Obama's plans to close the facilities there.

Just as planned.....Bwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......