The system worked again, is what they will say….
Via ABC’s Brian Ross, the most awesome damned reporter on the planet:
Two men taken off a Chicago-to-Amsterdam United Airlines flight in the Netherlands have been charged by Dutch police with “preparation of a terrorist attack,” U.S. law enforcement officials tell ABC News.
U.S. officials said the two appeared to be travelling with what were termed “mock bombs” in their luggage. “This was almost certainly a dry run, a test,” said one senior law enforcement official.
Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al Soofi, left, and Hezem al Murisi
A spokesman for the Dutch public prosecutor, Ernst Koelman, confirmed the two men were arrested this morning and said “the investigation is ongoing.” He said the arrests were made “at the request of American authorities.”
[….]
In addition, officials said, al Soofi was found to be carrying $7,000 in cash and a check of his luggage found a cell phone taped to a Pepto-Bismol bottle, three cell phones taped together, several watches taped together, a box cutter and three large knives. Officials said there was no indication of explosives and he and his luggage were cleared for the flight from Birmingham to Chicago O’Hare.
Instead, officials say, al Soofi was joined by the second man, Al Murisi, and boarded the United flight from Chicago to Amsterdam.
When Customs and Border officials learned al Soofi was not on the flight from Dulles to Dubai, the plane was ordered to return to the gate so his luggage could be removed. Officials said additional screening found no evidence of explosives.
The two men were detained by Dutch authorities when the United flight landed in Amsterdam, according to the officials.
AllahPundit Opines:
Basically, it sounds like this guy wanted to see just how many red flags he could send up and still be allowed to board an intercontinental flight. Answer: Quite a few, as it turns out. Which was also true of Flight 253, of course, another attempted terror attack that involved a bomber trained in … Yemen, the new number-one hot spot of international terrorism
That sounds about right; so to my readers who read this blog and travel abroad. (as opposed to traveling with broads. 😉 ) —- anyhow, seriously folks. Be careful. If you see something, anything — SAY SOMETHING! If they do not listen, demand to see their boss and keep raising hell, until someone does something! The only way that we can prevent terrorism, is to be on the look out.
There has been a lull in the activity and people are beginning to forget about the Christmas Day Terrorist attempt. That, my friends, is what terrorists do. They wait for people to do lulled back into complacency and that is when they strike. We must ALWAYS be on our guard for these bastards to strike. We are now in the global war on terror; and they want to come here to finish the job.
I may be a Moderate between Paleo-Conservative and Neo-Conservative; I may not be as far to the right as some might think that I should be. However, one thing CAN NEVER be said about this blogger —- and that is that I have my head up my arse about the global war on terrorism. I know the risks, and I am more than willing to take the hard knocks to stand against those who wish to commit Jihad against America. Further more, I am more than willing to be called a “Neo-Conservative” blogger, if that is what it means to be one, who feels that Terrorism, and terrorist activity is more than just some lowly criminal activity —- as Democrats believe it to be. It is an act of war and should be treated as such.
In Closing: Terrorism is a real thing. If you are traveling, be aware of what is going on around you and be careful. If you see anything suspect; tell someone!
Others: CBS News, Politics Daily, New York Times, The Jawa Report, Hot Air, AMERICAN DIGEST, New York Magazine, Sister Toldjah, Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers, msnbc.com, NPR Topics and National Review