Paranoia? (re: Jersey plane stopped)

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by AP

NEWARK, N.J. - Five airline passengers speaking in foreign languages and carrying "aircraft flight materials" were briefly detained Saturday until authorities determined they were simply returning to their home countries after attending a U.S. helicopter training school.
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Fellow passengers on American Airlines Flight 1874, which had departed from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, became suspicious of the men, said Steven Siegel, a spokesman for the FBI's Newark office.

A federal marshal on the plane notified authorities at Newark Liberty International Airport about the men's behavior.

The men — identified only as four Angolan military personnel and an Israeli — had attended helicopter training school in Texas, Siegel said.

Police officers from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, took the men into custody soon after the plane landed around 3:20 p.m., said a Port Authority spokesman.

After being questioned by authorities, the men were released around 6 p.m., Siegel said.

The plane was carrying 121 passengers and five crew members. All other passengers had been released.

Maybe a little over the top, mayhaps? Then again, I've been ticked about the new security since it's been implemented.

On a lighter note, the first thing I thought of when I heard this wsa that there were an Israeli, a Mexican, and an Indian- college buddies or something- speaking, say, French to each other and some dope had called the TSA on them.

SI

[SirFozzie]

you have to strike a balance between safety and rights.

America means that balance. If it swings too far one way, something like 9/11 could happen again. But if we swing too far the other way.. we'll lose what makes America what I consider to be a great nation.

Do I think this was balanced? yes. What's the saying.. fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me?

Shame meaning in this case the loss of thousands of lives.

[st.cronin]

Where there snakes on the plane?

[Young Drachma]

A bunch of Angolans and an Israeli.

Yeah, they were being over the top.

[Franklinnoble]

I think it's better to err on the side of caution, and I don't think, given the circumstances, they were being too careful.

[Logan]

Taken into custody at 3:20 PM. Released at 6:00 PM. No problem with that.

Stuff like this is going to happen, and it will probably happen in cases that seem much more innocent than what these guys were doing. When the new motto for NY/NJ PA and the MTA is "See something? Say something!" it's going to happen.