Annie Jacobsen is just desperate for attention
I'm sure the hysteria she's whipped up has done wonders for her career, and put her in the pundit queue…Michelle Malkin is looking to move into TheCoulterThing's position, which would let one or another black Conservative slide up in Malkin's spot, thereby leaving a slot at the bottom (where all good Black go).
Problem is, Malkin still ain't white…though as Honorary White and The Model Minority she makes a good lash, the spot seems to require a blonde—hence Laura Ingraham (CoulterThing-In-Training) and Chris Matthews. This blond requirement leaves one or another black Conservative still entering and leaving by the back door. Add to that the fact that TheCoulterThing is actually made from beef jerky and shoe leather, making it hearty as a cockroach and as likely to survive direct noo-klee-yer attack and I'm afraid Ms. Jacobsen has no shot.
What brought on the atypical rant?
The woman is still writing articles about the Islamic Threat she hallucinated.
No, I don't link to people I openly disrespect, remember? But Time Magazine links to her, in the process of delivering an exclusive interview with the air marshal that was on the plane that totally debunks her.
I'll be fair after these several quote.
The controversy began in mid-July, when WomensWallStreet.com posted an account of the incident written by Jacobsen, a passenger on Flight 327. She detailed what she said was odd behavior of the passengers (for instance, getting up several times during the flight, going to the bathroom often, congregating in the aisle) and described the increasing concern she and her husband felt. She said the flight attendants were also frightened, so much so that they seemed too scared to confront the men.
Upon arrival in Los Angeles, the 14 men were interviewed by FBI agents and Federal Air Marshals, who determined the men were a Syrian band heading to play a casino in San Diego. After being checked through government databases, they were not charged with any crime or detained beyond questioning.
Jacobson continues to say that something very suspicious was going on. She's written two follow-up articles, and bloggers and mainstream media outlets have picked up the story.
Continues to say…could be she's just one of the many people who can't admit they are wrong…especially after trumpeting their error all over hell and back?
About 25 minutes after takeoff, a flight attendant discreetly told the FAM that she thought the men were "acting suspiciously" and were congregating near one of the lavatories in the back of the plane. He alerted another marshal on the plane and also told the flight attendant to notify the captain. A short while later, the FAM asked the flight crew member to get physical descriptions of the men and their seat numbers.
He watched the men and saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Okay, the stewardii were scared, she got that much right. But the air marshall's report indicates that was paranoia as well, since (I know I'm giving away the end of the story here) they never did anything to raise suspicion except be sorta brownish and ethnic.
In a long, single aisle plane like the Boeing 757 that was carrying Flight 327, there are often many people standing or moving around. That was the case on this flight, says the FAM, who has flown hundreds of missions in his two and half years on the job. The FAM never saw — nor was he told — of any example of the men interfering with the flight crew (which is a federal crime). He never saw any activity that caused him to ask the pilots to turn on the seat belt sign (which he can request) and keep people in their seats. "Nothing my main partner or I saw on Flight 327 brought us anywhere near a conclusion that we considered breaking our cover or deploying as we've been trained. And we never came close to drawing our weapons."
Paranoid white chicks milking other people fears for an article not withstanding…
There was, the marshal admits, one incident that did concern him: when one of the group came from the back of the plane forward to use the lavatory in First Class. The FAM timed the man, dressed in a green jumpsuit with Arabic writing on it; he stayed about ten minutes in the toilet. Immediately after the man returned to the back to the plane, the FAM searched the washroom and found nothing.
I guess it's an air marshall's job to be paranoid, but ten minutes in the can is not terribly unusual. They guy probably did drop a bomb in there, but not the kind security need be concerned about.
In contrast to Jacobsen's version, the FAM said at no time did any people congregate near the First Class bathroom.
Having made this part up is what convinced me the woman deserves nothing but disdain.
