Whistleblowing Airline Employees Association

Patriotism and Freedom of Speech in Action!

Press Release

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WHISTLEBLOWING AIRLINE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION

Patriotism and Freedom of Speech in Action

Press Release

December 25, 2009

We are already receiving numerous questions via our 'Contact Us' page of our website regarding the massive security breach on Northwest 253 enroute from Amsterdam to Detroit asking how this might have happened that an alleged terrorist with links to Al Qaeda could board a commercial jet aircraft with explosives tied to his leg. While our association membership applauds President Obama's announcement of tightened security, we must pause to reflect on the demise of the careers of those airline captains and TSA managers and Federal Air Marshals who attempted to report frailties in aviation security in the past, but were either fired or ignored for doing so.

Please take the time to listen to the words of fired Federal Air Marshals Robert Maclean and Spencer Pickard, former TSA Red Team Leader Bogdan Dzakovic, and fired former United Airlines B-777 Captain Dan Hanley recorded on our Whistleblowing Airline Employees Blog Talk Radio Program this past Sunday. The demise of their careers caused a chilling effect on other employees in their field in reporting system security frailties. Why would another airline employee want to risk unemployment in speaking out, given what happened to others in the past? The members of the Whistleblowing Airline Employees Association strongly feel that this incident could have been avoided if senior level TSA management had not previously suppressed whistleblowers, especially former TSA Red Team Leader Bogdan Dzakovic, the noted global expert on airline security who is currently demoted to a low-level TSA administrative position as a result of his testimony before the 9/11 Commission.

Why Mr. President? Perhaps President Obama and TSA senior-level management should ask former TSA manager and whistleblower Don Strange for an answer instead.

You will note towards the bottom of the article below the suggestion of the video cameras in the rear of the aircraft to advance-warn the cockpit of cabin disturbances. Among other issues, Captain Dan Hanley, the National Public Spokesperson for the Whistleblowing Airline Employees Association, reported this very security issue in 2003 via federally-mandated regulations and based on flight attendant reported concerns, but was removed from scheduled flight operations after 35 years as a pilot and was subsequently 'fired'. With regard to this near disaster, we must ask our president and especially the Transportation Security Administration managers why the eight year delay on implementation of cabin cameras?

Captain Hanley also federally reported in 2003 the fact that a full two years had elapsed since 9/11 and not a single Federal Air Marshal was provided on New York to London flights, which was of concern to his cabin crew members also. London is a very expensive layover city for Federal Air Marshals.

Additionally, please recall that just last week the TSA stonewalled congress in denying accessibility to the current TSA screening manual for a comparative analysis of the leaked document. Our association had previously queried as to why TSA had not elevated the Terrorist Alert Level to RED in the interim as Congress and TSA debated these and other issues.

Dr. Andrew Thomas, Editor in Chief of the Journal of Transportation Security and authro of 'History of Attacks Against Civil Aviation', has noted that "the most recent attempt by a terrorist to detonate an Improvised Explosive Device within the confines of an air cabin has several recent precursors:

1995: Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind behind the 1993 WTC attack, was less than a week away from planting IEDs on several U.S. bound NWA flights from the Pacific. The IED was successfully tested in late 1994 on an Air Nippon Airways flight, killing a passenger.

2001: An Al-Qaeda operative, Richard Reid, unsuccessfully attempted to detonate an IED concealed within his shoe on an U.S.-bound AA flight, originating from Paris’ Charles De-Gaulle International airport.

2004: Two Russian airliners are destroyed, nearly simultaneously, by female suicide bombers who detonated IEDs on-board.

Had enough yet? Or would you prefer to wait for the next air disaster?

Midair Bomb Attempt Fails

Man on Flight to Detroit Claims Al Qaeda Ties; Obama Tightens Security

By NEAL E. BOUDETTE in Detroit, ANDY PASZTOR in Los Angeles and PETER SPIEGEL in Washington

Associated Press

Northwest Flight 253 after arriving Friday in Detroit from Amsterdam. Delta Air Lines now owns Northwest.

A passenger on a Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight tried Friday to detonate an explosive device strapped to his leg and later told investigators he had affiliations with Al Qaeda and was trying to blow up the plane, according to a senior U.S. official.

"We believe this was an attempted act of terrorism," said a White House official.

The suspect told investigators he was given the device by al Qaeda operatives in Yemen, along with detonation instructions, the official said. "This guy claims he is tied to al Qaeda, specifically in Yemen," the official said. "He claims he was on orders from al Qaeda in Yemen. Who knows if that's true?"

Rep. Peter King (R., N.Y.) identified the man as a 23-year-old Nigerian named Abdul Mudallad. Mr. King said the flight began in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit. The suspect's name didn't appear on any terrorist watch lists maintained by U.S. authorities, he said, but it turned up "hot" in other terrorism-related databases maintained by intelligence officials.

One U.S. intelligence official said the alleged explosive was a mix of powder and liquid. Mr. King said the concoction was strapped to Mr. Mudallad's leg.

To read the rest of the article, please click here.

Whistleblowing Airline Employees Association