TSA Suspicious Incident #177 Possible Dry Run
Article by Annie Jacobson in Aviation Nation:
This TSA Suspicious Incident #177, Unclassified but For Official Use Only (U//FOUO), “has many of the elements of pre-operational terrorist planning” according to TSA Office of Intelligence. It was leaked to me earlier today in my ongoing efforts to compile terrorist dry runs and probes on airplanes.
A FFDO (Federal Flight Deck Officer — i.e. armed pilot) flying in non-mission status on October 24, 2007, on a flight from Washington D.C. to Milwaukee, identified himself to flight crew in advance of take-off. When flight crew witnessed suspicious behavior by four passengers, they reported the information to the FFDO. The following unfolded:
Suspicious Activity Onboard Flight to Milwaukee
On 24 October 2007, crewmembers aboard a Reagan-Washington National to Milwaukee General Mitchell International Airport flight reported to a Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) flying in non-mission status that they noticed suspicious behavior by four passengers.
One of the subjects entered and exited the rear aircraft lavatory three times and failed to comply with crewmembers’ verbal instructions. The FFDO seated himself near this subject to observe his behavior. Shortly afterward, two more of the subjects moved into the aisles and entered both lavatories. After one of the subjects vacated the rear left lavatory, the FFDO searched it, noting that the mirror above the sink was not properly latched.
He exited the lavatory and a fourth subject was waiting second in line with a passenger in front of him. The FFDO offered the fourth subject access to the right lavatory, but the subject declined, claiming the right lavatory was dirty.The FFDO noted the right lavatory was clean, and the subject reluctantly entered the right lavatory and remained there for an extended period of time.
TSA Office of Intelligence Comment: Although there is no information that the aircraft was being specifically targeted for a future terrorist attack, the actions of the four passengers are highly suspicious. FFDO confirmation of possible tampering of the lavatory mirror in one of the lavatories could be indicative of an attempt to locate concealment areas for smuggling criminal contraband or terrorist materials. In this case, it appears the left lavatory was the sole area of interest for the passengers. One subject’s excuse that the right lavatory was dirty when it was confirmed to be clean shows the four passengers had a specific, operational objective. Although unconfirmed at this time, this incident has many of the elements of pre-operational terrorist planning.
Source: TSA Suspicious Incidents Report #177
Before August 2006, the TSA refused to admit publicly that terrorists took dry runs and probes on U.S. aircraft (after the London Planes Plot, the White House stated, “we know they do dry runs” and TSA quietly agreed). Unless there have been 177 such incidents in the past fifteen months, one wonders when TSA Suspicious Incident Reports #1-#176 occurred — and what information they contain?
I’m curious how many of those in the #1 to #176 were also going to the Great Lakes Region.
November 18th, 2007 at 12:19 amare they trying to make our suspicions go down by doing it so often it starts to look normal?
November 18th, 2007 at 7:50 amJC has a good point. I’ve always thought the open waterways of the Great Lakes are the perfect place for terrorist infiltration over the border. Not to mention Dearbonistan and other large muslim enclaves growing in the area.
November 18th, 2007 at 8:24 amJohn, What is the reason for wanting to know that info? Being just a few miles from Lake Erie makes me curious.
No mention if the “suspects” were towel heads or not.
November 18th, 2007 at 8:42 amHopefully someone did a background check on these guys, and are keeping an eye on them as well.
November 18th, 2007 at 9:39 amcould they not use a broken mirror glass as a weapon??
November 18th, 2007 at 9:52 amThats a great question John, the Islamic state of Dearborn perhaps?
November 18th, 2007 at 9:55 amOtter, 0311 in Ohio, Kurt the Infidel. I’ve been worst case scenarioing, some may say obsessing, about the Great Lakes. Lackawanna Six, Dearbornistan, the Toronto however many and the Flying Imams, the Somali cabs drivers at Minneapolis air port, the list goes on. What the hell are they after. Maybe the Niagara Power Project in Niagara Falls. I lived in Buffalo and the Falls from ‘81 to 03. Do a 9/11 type crash into the Niagara Gorge and there’s only one road down to where the Power Project is and it would be dam near impossible to get enough firefighting equipment down there to do much of anything. They could steal some KC-135s from the Niagara Falls Air Base, you’re over the project five minutes after take off.
Then I got this weird idea. They’re into spectacular strikes. Spend ten years breaking us down so we dare not question what they do anywhere in the country and crash cargo jets loaded with either a nuclear bomb or dirty radioactive material on their way to the Great Lakes Region time them to arrive like 9/11 crashing one into each of the Great Lakes. Controlling the arrival time would be better controlled if the jets were highjacked from airports already in the Great Lakes area. Polluting the Great Lakes and that would eventually run into the Mississippi with radiation would take out one of the world’s largest fresh water supplies. They still haven’t caught that American citizen nuclear expert muslim that the FBI has a five million dollar reward posted, he’s roaming around somewhere. We had thought of 9/11 type stuff coming from overseas. Those that thought it would come from within weren’t taken as seriously as they should have. Personally I think all muslims should be banned from being anywhere within three-hundred miles of the Great Lakes or either side of the Mississippi. They come from a desert, they don’t care. I’d keep an eye on bottled water futures. An attack like that and I don’t know how long it would take for the lakes to flush themselves out and not to mention all the farming that would be taken out. See, they do and say weird things, what’s up to us is down to them and vice versa, it gets people to thinking. What are they up to?
November 18th, 2007 at 1:05 pmCouple this with is piss poor screening/background checks of the ground crews ($8 p/hr) and off airport food service suppliers who get access to all aircraft, it’s just a matter of time !
November 19th, 2007 at 6:09 amRE: a few day’s ago the discovery of automatic weapons put into an overhead compartment passenger area and taped shut with a sign “do not open”. Apparently back fed thru baggage claim conveyor, by-passing all security, picked up by a cart jockey and put on aircraft bound for “drug cartel”, so they say, to some sewer pit in the Caribbean.