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Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > The Flying Imam's Tactical Demand For National Security Documents

The Flying Imam's Tactical Demand For National Security Documents

April 29, 2009

The Flying Imams' Tactical Demand For National Security Documents

By BEILA RABINOWITZ and WILLIAM MAYER

April 29, 2009 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org - The Transportation Security Administration [TSA] says it has no obligation to release sensitive security information which could compromise airline safety in the federal discrimination case being brought by the so-called "flying imams" in Minnesota.

Attorneys for the imams are claiming that their removal from a U.S. Airways flight from Minnesota to Phoenix was based on racism and religious discrimination. The airline maintains that it was only acting prudently in that the imams were acting oddly, loudly praying, chanting Islamic verses and demanding seat belt extenders when they weren't needed. Passengers communicated their concerns to the crew who removed the imams and refunded their money.

The suit was filed in 2007.

"The Imams' lawyers say they cannot respond to U.S. Airways pending motions for summary judgment without knowing what information the TSA redacted from certain U.S. Airways documents. The TSA calls the redactions "sensitive security information" that, if released publicly, could be "detrimental to the security of transportation." [source, http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/04/28/tsa_imam_case]

A ruling by the U.S. District Court of Appeals could force the TSA release the information.

As these writers noted in "Imams Minneapolis Airport Stunt-Cultural Jihad"

"The imam's actions were the culminating event in a carefully executed plan that was preceded by a series of smaller incidents in which Muslims tested the tolerance level of the airlines and passengers by wearing T shirts to the airport reading "I am not a Terrorist." As part of this ramp-up in provocation, an Islamist activist goaded airport security personnel into preventing him from entering a plane because he was wearing a T shirt emblazoned with possibly threatening Arabic text.

Following this same template, the imams intentionally pushed all the right buttons to arouse the suspicions of airport security, Federal air marshals and passengers alike.

Specifically, some of the Imams had one way tickets and checked no baggage, they had prayed loudly and very publicly before entering the plane, shouting Allahu Akhbar ["God is great," an Arabic chant often used by terrorists as a war cry] they refused to take their assigned seats instead occupying seats strategically chosen to control all entrances and exits of the airliner. Passengers overheard them making anti-American remarks, statements strongly against the war in Iraq and mentions of al-Qaeda and bin-Laden. Two of the Imams demanded seat belt extenders [which could be used as weapons] when neither of them were overweight and thus realistically in need of making their seat belts longer. When confronted for their bizarre behavior and asked to voluntarily leave the plane for questioning, they refused and were then forcibly removed.

Their actions were thus consistent with either a terrorist probe - a dry run - or the real thing, the prelude to a hijacking attempt." [source, http://www.pipelinenews.org/2006/Imam's-Minneapolis-Airport-Stunt-Cultural-Jihad.html

What appears to be the case in this discovery demand follows a template long in play in lawsuits involving national security brought by the left. Those bringing this suit have no real need for the information being sought, rather they hope to make the case that by [the TSA in this instance] refusing to comply with the request for redacted information they can create the impression that justice will be denied.

We hope that the federal courts will be able to see through this ploy, refuse the imams request, assuming it goes to an appeal, and thus minimize the damage done to our national security apparatus.

http://www.pipelinenews.org/index.cfm?page=imamid=4.29.09%2Ehtm

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