U.S. Blocks Netherlands-Mexico Flight

[Roland99]

http://cbsnewyork.com/terror/terror_story_100070639.html

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Mexico City was blocked mid-flight by U.S. authorities for having two undesirable people on board, the airline said Sunday.

KLM spokesman Bart Koster said the flight was approaching the U.S. border from Canada when the pilots was told they would not be allowed to enter U.S. airspace because of the two passengers who were considered a risk, apparently due to terrorism fears. Their names were not released.

<...>

"They weren't suspected by the Dutch authorities or on European no-fly lists," he said. "I guess they went their way."

Kosters said the incident was unusual, since U.S. and European no-fly lists are usually the same.

[ixion]

1. and so the US continues to degenerate into something like the former USSR

I weep for our once great republic. :cry:

[Gasping4Truth]

10. Not so fast

US airspace is still free: the bin Laden family was able to fly right after 9/11.

[radfringe]

2. Amsterdam to Mexico?

article doesn't say if the flight was going to land in a US airport or not before continuing on to Mexico..

so was BIG BROTHER concerned the 2 "undesireables" were going to parachute out of the plane as it passed through US airspace?

[Roland99]

3. Apparently

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. According to website, the KLM Amsterdam-Mexico City flight is non-stop

So, that means the USA has admitted spying on personal information held by a Dutch company concerning a flight to Mexico. I bet Orwell never thought Big Brother would reach that far - Eastasia and Eurasia were at least out of the reach of his telescreens.

[Earth_First]

5. It would appear so...

[Eugene]

6. The flight path likely passes near cities like Boston, NYC

or Atlanta. A hijacked plane is a legitimate
concern even if the probabilty is low.

[alarimer]

7. this just bullshit

typical fascist nonsense. Our government sucks!!!

[Gasping4Truth]

9. The plane would not land in the US (NT)

[dArKeR]

8. A few weeks ago Congress asked Homeland Sec. why no students are

coming to the US now! Here's their answer.

US turns away KLM plane with unwanted visitors on board
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=afp/netherlandsusairtravelklm

[Gasping4Truth]

11. A friend of mine was on that flight

What KLM doesn't say is that an arrest was made during check-in (or boarding, I'll get back here when I have that sorted out).

Back in Amsterdam, when concerned passengers quizzed officials about it they were told the pre-flight arrest had "nothing to do" with the debacle above Canada. Could be, but they conveniently omit this arrest from their press release.

Another arrest was made after the flight, but that was a drunk disgruntled passenger who had been harassing the crew.

It bothers me how the press sticks slavishly to the official KLM statement without publishing the passenger's stories about what really happened.

[DrDebug]

13. Only one disgruntled passenger?

They had been flying for 12 hours because a country who shouldn't have had access to the passenger list (and much more of course) just send them back and then nothing happens.

Of course that arrest had nothing to do with anything.. There's nothing to see. Go away and board another airplane.

[Gasping4Truth]

14. All of them were disgruntled of course

I don't know how many of them were drunk :P

But apparently only one harassed the crew.

[Gasping4Truth]

15. *Two* people were arrested while *boarding*

According to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, KLM demands an explanation from the U.S. authorities, because they were not supposed to know anything about the passenger list of a flight that doesn't land on American soil. The people on the no-fly list were 2 Saudis. After getting back in Amsterdam, they were allowed to fly back to their country via London.

Now I'm going into speculative mode, but could it be that the 2 people arrested while boarding were the 2 Saudis on the no-fly list? And that KLM didn't manage to convince US authorities they were kept off the plane, because the record said they had passed through check-in?

Just guessing.

[Theduckno2]

12. Whats got me concerned.....

How come the European no-fly list didn't have the two names on it? Where is all the cooperation in the War on Terror? Even if there had been some sort of miscommunication, why wasn't it updated before the plane finished it's return flight. Yeah, I guess they went on their way! Maybe they were put on "double secret probation" by President "Dean Woermer" Bush. :)