Persistent and disturbing reports from the US suggest that terrorists are using passenger aircraft for dry runs for further atrocities. The alarm was first sounded in a remarkable piece by Annie Jacobsen, (with a follow-up here) who described a terrifying flight when she watched in mounting alarm as a group of Middle Eastern men behaved suspiciously throughout the flight, appearing to signal to each other over a systematic traffic to and from the lavatory. This was more than one woman being spooked: the flight crew were also monitoring what was going on, as were air marshals on board who detained the men on landing -- although they were later said to be a group of Syrian musicians on their way to a booking.

Now, a piece in the Washington Times suggests that terrorist dry runs are frequent occurrences:

'At least two midflight incidents have involved numerous men of Middle Eastern descent behaving in what one pilot called "stereotypical" behavior of an organized attempt to attack a plane. "No doubt these are dry runs for a terrorist attack," an air marshal said. Pilots and air marshals who asked to remain anonymous told The Washington Times that surveillance by terrorists is rampant, using different probing methods...A second pilot said that, on one of his recent flights, an air marshal forced his way into the lavatory at the front of his plane after a man of Middle Eastern descent locked himself in for a long period.

'The marshal found the mirror had been removed and the man was attempting to break through the wall. The cockpit was on the other side. The second pilot said terrorists are "absolutely" testing security. "There is a great degree of concern in the airline industry that not only are these dry runs for a terrorist attack, but that there is absolutely no defense capabilities on a vast majority of airlines," the second pilot said.'

The 9/11 Commission has just detailed the chronic lapses in intelligence, security and counter-terrorist organisation that led up to 9/11. In these circumstances, why are planes continuing to fly when such alarm is raised among passengers, crew and air marshals on board? Why are such suspicious individuals still being allowed onto aircraft in the first place?

Posted by melanie at July 23, 2004