The Flying Imams - A Dry Run for the Next 9/11?

There were a number of interesting events this past week that are worthy of attention.

Number one was the story of a group of six flying imams (Muslim clerics) who apparently tried and succeeded in getting themselves arrested from a commercial airlines flight with provocative behavior.

The Flying Imams - What Happened:
Before boarding the flight the Imams prayed loudly in the airport and shouted "Allah" when passengers were called to board their flight, a US Airways flight from Minneapolis-St Paul to Phoenix. When on board, three of the six stood up and again prayed on board the plane. That was provocative enough, but not the least of the imams' suspicious behavior. The worst of it was that the imams left their assigned seats and sat in a pattern associated with terrorist takeovers of planes: two in the front row of first class (closest to the cockpit), two in the middle of the plane next to the exit doors, and two in the rear of the plane. An air marshall said that this would alarm him, as the seating pattern would allow the imams to control all entry and exit doors to the plane.

When passengers complained about the imams' behavior, the imams were asked to leave the plane. When they refused, they were arrested and led from the plane in handcuffs.

CAIR, a Muslim propaganda arm in the United States, immediately vowed to file suit against US Airways for ethnic profiling, violating the imams' civil rights, etc.

Analysis:
The imams seem to be following a strategy used by other Muslim groups on western air flights: be provocative for propaganda purposes; get yourself arrested and then shout discrimination. The goal is to dampen or suppress official action in regard to suspicious activity, i.e. to make it easier for a terrorist attack to be carried out via commercial airlines at some future date. Expect the Left to go along and join the chorus of false outrage over "discrimination" and "ethnic profiling." The net result (and goal) is a weakening of American will and resolve to respond to credible threats.

Another goal in these provocative actions is to probe airline security for weak spots. How much can a potential hijacker get away with? Prior to 9/11, the culprits staged dry runs on commercial airlines. Two Muslim college students were arrested in Tucson, prior to 9/11, for twice trying to open the door to a cockpit on an America West fight. The FBI believes their attempt was a dry run.

See also Cal Thomas's recent article, "If I Were a Terrorist."