Updates

***Kurt, at the Southfield office.

Kurt was on the Barry Shainbaum show yesterday for the second time. I cannot figure out how to attach radio shows to this blog, so for 13 days, you can click here, download, and listen. After that, give me your email and I will send it to you. Oh, and Kurt on the show starts at around minute 47 on the download.

Channel 7 Detroit and Michael Rosenthal stopped by on Friday to ask our opinions on the recent Detroit Free Press article that discussed the security flaws on Flight 253 after we landed on December 25. Also, a photographer from the Chicago Tribune stopped by to take portraits of us for their paper. Not sure what about when the article and pics will be run, but I will post once it is up and online.

****Kory at the Southfield office.

Today, Kurt and I filmed for a TV show called "Don't Be A Victim". We got there at 2:30 PM and filmed until around 415 PM. They pretty much let us tell the entire story, we did not have to leave anything out. It was a really good interview, i think. The show is new and the series starts in July of this year. Have no idea yet when we will be on.



This weekend was crazy busy. Worked on the new offices all of Saturday. Picked up both desks for each office at Art Van, as well as a table I bought for Stacey's office in Taylor for behind her desk. Got amazing deals on the table and one of the desks. Went to the Southfield office--put together the chairs, set up the computer and printer, and brought in the desk, which was a PAIN. The desk weighs 403 pounds. Left there, and headed back to Taylor to pick up the furniture for the Ypsi office. Kurt and Kory then headed to the Ypsi office to set up everythig there. I then had to leave as I was having dinner with family for my Grama's birthday. Met them in Westland and we headed to Max and Erma's for dinner. Was nice to see everyone. Happy Birthday, grama!!!!! Sunday, we stayed home, I grocery shopped, which we desperately needed to do....we had literally nothing to drink in the house except milk and tap water. Oh, had a coupon for 20% off so I stopped at Elder Beerman as well and ended up buying Kurt a dress shirt, myself a new suit coat (in black) and skirt, and some various tights and socks on clearance......

Looking forward to Kurt's bday trip this weekend! Decided to rent a car to take with us. The Wrangler is just not a comfy ride, the Saturn needs to be taken in for some work, and the rest of the cars are parked for the Winter. Reserved that yesterday.....Only thing I have left to do is find a spa and book massages, and figure out what else we are doing while there. We may just wing it. Or maybe I will buy a book on Indy this week to add to my travel collection.......

Made an awesome recipe tonight, which I paired with Zatarain's Jambalaya Rice. The recipe is as follows:

Tuna Cakes by Kraft

What You Need

2 cans (6 oz. each) light tuna in water, drained, flaked (used Starkist Gourmet Gold White Albacore Tuna)

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese (used Kroger brand Habanero Cheese)

3/4 cup water

1 carrot, shredded

1/3 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise (used low fat miracle whip)

2 Tbsp. CLAUSSEN Sweet Pickle Relish (Used Kroger brand dill relish)

Make It!

MIX all ingredients. Refrigerate 10 min.

HEAT large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Use ice cream scoop to add 1/3-cup portions of tuna mixture, in batches, to skillet. (I used my panini grill to make these, and I made them in like 1/4 cup portions).

Tomorrow is Kurty's birthday! He only has one year and one day until he is the big 4-0! It's so strange........I remember when I met Kurt and he was only 26......now, he is almost 40. Times flies when you are having fun, I guess! :). We are having dinner to celebrate, then we leave on Thursday afternoon for Kurt's annual birthday trip! Hooray!

Remaining Questions

THE REMAINING QUESTIONS FROM FLIGHT 253 AND A DISCUSSION OF THE POSSIBILITIES -by Kurt Haskell


The following questions are those that we do not have adequate information (In my mind) on in order to make a final determination.



1. Who is the Man in Orange?


2. Did Mutallab know the Sharp Dressed Man?


3. Was it intended that the bomb explode?


4. Did the U.S. Government know that Mutallab had a bomb when it allowed him to board Flight 253?

5. Why is the U.S. Government seeking a plea deal for Mutallab?

6. Why did a fellow passenger call me to discuss changing my story?

7. Why are the important questions being ignored by the mainstream media?








1. Who is the Man in Orange?


The story of the Man in Orange has been previously discussed at length, so I will not state it again in this article, but who was he?


The following evidence supports the theory that we know the identity of the Man in Orange:

The Detroit Free Press released an account of Flight 253 passenger Samuel Pappy on January 29, 2010. It stated the following:

"Two bomb-sniffing dogs named Jordi and Brenda checked out hundreds of bags and carry-ons that had been deposited in Customs. They cleared every bag except one: The dogs keyed in on a soft-sided black carry-on belonging to Pappy, the Indian born man who said he helped calm other passengers during the flight.
Pappy, who lives in Georgia, said he was hand cuffed in front of other passengers, which he said he found humiliating. A police report said his bags were searched and cleared. He was released with other passengers later that afternoon".

The Free Press account verifies the following aspects of the Man in Orange:


1. Indian Man
2. Bomb-sniffing dogs were alerted to his carry-on bag and no other bags.
3. He was taken away and questioned.


There is further evidence that Pappy may have been the Man in Orange. When a fellow passenger called me in an apparent attempt to get me to change my story, he did not attempt to change my story in regards to the Man in Orange. He actually concurred with my account.

While the evidence indicates strongly that Pappy was the Man in Orange a few questions are raised in my mind.

The following evidence supports the theory that we still do not know the identity of the Man in Orange:
1. Ron Smith, spokesperson for U.S. Customs, changed the official story of the Man in Orange 5 times. Each story appearing after a public statement from myself, which discredited the official version. Why?
2. My account of the Man in Orange indicated that he was NOT handcuffed when he was taken away, but he was handcuffed after he emerged from questioning. This appears to not correspond with version 6 of the official story, which appeared in the Free Press.
3. As he was exiting Flight 253, Mutallab indicated that another bomb was on the plane.
4. How often do bomb-sniffing dogs indicate a false positive?




2. Did Mutallab know the Sharp Dressed Man?

The story of the Sharp Dressed Man has previously been discussed at length and his identity has been proven(To my satisfaction) as an agent of the U.S. Government. However, did Mutallab know the Sharp Dressed Man?

The following evidence supports the theory that Mutallab did know the Sharp Dressed Man:

1. The two men approached the final ticket gate together.
2. The Sharp Dressed Man did all of the talking.
3. The Sharp Dressed Man indicated that Mutallab was from "Sudan", which was an obvious lie.
4. The Sharp Dressed man advocated for Mutallab to board without showing a passport.
5. The U.S. Government is now admitting that Mutallab may have had help in making sure he did not get cold feet when boarding.



The following evidence supports the theory that Mutallab did not know the Sharp Dressed Man:

1. Mutallab was nervous and fidgety as he stood by the Sharp Dressed Man.
2. The account of Shama Chopra, the Montreal passenger who also saw Mutallab before boarding, also described Mutallab as being very nervous as he went through security.


3. Was it intended that the bomb explode?


The only reason I am here today is that Mutallab's bomb did not explode. We have to ask whether it was ever intended to explode?


The following evidence supports the theory that the bomb was intended to explode:

1. Mutallab went all the way to Yemen to obtain the bomb.
2. It was stitched into his underwear.
3. The quantity of explosive was enough to blow up the plane.
4. Mutallab purchased a one-way ticket without luggage (except for one small carry-on bag).


The following evidence supports the theory that the bomb was not intended to explode:

1. The bomb required a detonator to explode. This bomb did not have (Or had a malfunctioning detonator) a detonator.
2. It is difficult to believe that Mutallab would plan for this event in such great detail, but not assure that it would work.
3. A camera man filmed the entire attack from before it started until after it ended.
4. The U.S. Government allowed Mutallab on the plane in order to track him in the U.S. and catch potential accomplices.



4. Did the U.S. Government know that Mutallab had a bomb when it allowed him to board Flight 253?


This is possibly the most important question to be answered.


The following is evidence that the U.S. Government knew Mutallab had a bomb when he boarded Flight 253:

1. The U.S. Government had pre-purchased body scanning machines.
2. The U.S. Government had already begun bombing Yemen.
3. The camera man on the plane. Although, this would indicate that the U.S. Government knew Mutallab had a defective bomb.
4. The extensive evidence over the months leading up to the flight, which included wire tapped intercepts indicating that someone named "Umar Farouk" would be attempting a terrorist attack.
5. Michael Chertoff's ties to the company that produces the body scanning machines.



The following is evidence that the U.S. Government did not know that Mutallab had a bomb when he boarded Flight 253:

1. It is almost incomprehensible to believe that the U.S. Government would intentionally allow it's citizens to be blown up (Although, this would not be the case if it knew that Mutallab's bomb was defective).
2. The bomb was in Mutallab's underwear and may have been difficult to find.


5. Why is the U.S. Government seeking a plea deal for Mutallab?



One has to wonder why the government wants a plea deal when the U.S. Government has plenty of evidence to convict Mutallab.



The following evidence supports the theory that the U.S. Government has a legitimate reason for seeking a plea deal:
1. To seek additional evidence from Mutallab to catch accomplices.
2. To spare the cost of a trial (However, this trial would be very short and not too costly).



The following evidence supports the theory that the U.S. Government does not have a legitimate reason for seeking a plea deal:

1. There is plenty of evidence to convict Mutallab.
2. His crime was particularly heinous and he does not deserve a lenient sentence.
3. Anything less than a life sentence without the possibility of parole would be ridiculous.
4. Mutallab could have been treated as an enemy combatant and denied a court appointed attorney, which could have had the same result as a plea deal, as far as obtaining additional evidence. The U.S. Government already admitted that Mutallab was telling all until his attorney arrived.
5. The truth of the story would be known when evidence was presented at trial.



6. Why did a fellow passenger call me to discuss changing my story?



Approximately one week after Flight 253, and after I had been telling my story to the media, I received a call from a fellow passenger. The important parts of the conversation were as follows:



1. "Kurt, I think you should stop telling your story about the 'Sharp Dressed Man'. It was an unaccompanied minor that you saw. I am sure of it. He was escorted on the flight by an airline employee. I saw him after we landed with the employee. You will look stupid when the truth comes out".
2. "Remember when we took the buses from the plane to the terminal"?
3. "I thought you were crazy when I heard you in the media, but yesterday(One week after the flight) I had a revelation and remembered what happened".



Lets look at the reason this call was made and the importance of the above statements.



The following evidence indicates that the call was made from a concerned fellow passenger:

1. The caller was pleasant and appeared to be concerned.
2. My wife verified that he was, in fact, on our plane.
3. Maybe he did see something, but was something different than what I saw.
4. He did not say that he saw the Sharp Dressed Man before boarding.
5. He provided, on its face, a seemingly believable story.



The following evidence indicates that the call was made from someone trying to "shut me up".

1. The call was made after the caller had a revelation one week after the flight. This would be a highly unlikely event.
2. I have since discovered that the caller has ties to the U.S. Government.
3. U.S. Customs has indicated that there were no unaccompanied minors on our flight.
4. To have an airline employee as an escort, the minor must be age 11 or younger. Although Mutallab looks young (15 or 16 by my estimation), he does not look 11.
5. Why the call out of the blue to me?
6. The statement that we took buses to the terminal was not true. This statement could have been made in an effort to make me believe that the plane landed far away from the terminal. This, if true, would cover up the post-landing gaffes indicated in the January 29, 2010, Detroit News article.
7. Why indicate that he thought I was crazy? Possibly as a subliminal put down to me to make me not talk to the media.
8. Although I have since spoken to many passengers, none have indicated that they saw an unaccompanied minor either before or after landing. One passenger, however, did indicate to me that she saw Mutallab escorted by another individual to the final ticket counter.
9. The numerous amount of evidence that has since come out and now indicates that the U.S. Government intentionally let Mutallab on Flight 253.
10. The U.S. Government knew at that time, that I could not be intimidated by a government official and knew it had to try an alternative means to stop my story from getting out to the public.
11. The caller has since made the following peculiar statement (Which may not be an exact quote but it is close), which is odd considering that it is coming from a victim of a recent terrorist attack:

"The American public should forget about Flight 253 and focus on health care and the economy".

This statement appears to be a statement more attributable to a government official then a passenger of Flight 253.



7. Why are the important questions being ignored by the main stream media?



It would seem that in a free country the press would be investigative on all important questions, including those that may show corrupt/grossly negligent activities by its own government. However, as often has been the case, the mainstream media is all too quick to put the "official" story out to the public and not ask the difficult questions. As I am finding out, it is very difficult for a normal everyday citizen to have his concerns heard in the media. Any official statement from the government, however, is immediately reported worldwide. One has to wonder whether the ties between the large corporations that run the media and the U.S. Government itself, have become so tight as to jeopardize the freedom and safety of the U.S. citizens. It has come to the point that some are calling my wife and I heroes for insisting on the truthful reporting of this story. That is a very sad statement, because we are not heroes, but only eyewitnesses. The belief that we are heroes, speaks of the current sad state of affairs in this country. Those that have something to say are scared to come forward with the truth. The United States of America is no longer a free country.




I look forward to hearing the responses to this post. I know some of you will feel strongly in support of one side or the other on each of the above questions. However, I take no position on these questions at this time. I also look forward to hearing any other questions anyone would like me to blog about, as this is a very involved story and I acknowledge that I may have missed some further unresolved questions.

Negativity

I got up this morning and was reading and approving comments on this blog. One, that struck me as hilarious, was as follows:

"OMFG!? You sound like a real intellectual. What a sad testament to the quality and state of law school that one should confer a degree upon you. You're a bimbo."

Since Kurt and I have now proven ourselves in the media by the government finally backing up most of our stories, these comments no longer annoy me, they amuse me.

Most people who "don't like lawyers", I think, is because most lawyers ARE kind of obnoxious. They use constant big words in their every day lives, they act superior, they act snobby, they think their degrees make them better than others. The bulk of the lawyers I know and like though, act like everyday citizens.

To be an intellectual, one does not have to use big words all the time. I can have fun with my life and how I post things. I can use slang!!! And to call me a bimbo is totally hilarious. There are a lot of adjectives one could use to describe me, but bimbo is def not one of them. I think I have actually been called that twice now since 12/25--once on here, and once on a forum--and prior to that, NEVER.

So, Mr. Anonymous poster who does not even have the guts to post his/her name and email...............Here is what I have to say to you.

1. Umm, you are reading my blog. I guess you cared enough about what i have to say to come on here and read it. I must not be as stupid as you state. Food for thought......

2. Don't you have anything better to do than post comments on a "bimbo's" blog? And to be rude to someone who is simply trying to make sure that the government looks into all issues wtih this situation?

3. Let's talk about YOUR education and intellect. What kind of education have you had? Do you use this superior attitude at your workplace? You must be well-loved.

4. Let me fill you in about how law school works. You go, you take classes, tests--then you take a bar exam. I took my blonde, "bimbo" self to that exam, and passed. The first time. I also went to school fulltime, while still working, and running our household.

5. Thankfully, we live in America, where i can act how I want to, and not how you expect me too, simply because of my occupation. I will never ever change who I am because it's what society expects of me. I have a thriving law practice which is one of the, if not the, busiest in the area--apparently, the people in the area we live in like me just the way I am. We get comments from clients almost daily sayin that they love how we are both down to Earth and accessible.

Thank you for providing me with my eyeroll moment of the day, Mr. Anonymous. You are a judgmental ass, and if you are reading this (which I expect you are), I find that even more amusing.

Latest on the Trial

This article is just insane. Reaching a plea deal, AM not being mirandized properly, etc. Can the government do anything right?

Click here to read it.

Kurt Haskell Returns to Alex Jones TV: FBI Now Admits Haskell’s Eye-Witness Account Was True

Kurt was asked back on the Alex Jones' show yesterday. They also posted an article about recent events on their website, click here to read. Click below to watch the interview live.

Kurt Haskell Returns to Alex Jones TV: FBI Now Admits Haskell’s Eye-Witness Account Was True

Free Press Article re Security Being Botched

Another article, that just confirms almost everything Kurt and I have about what happened AFTER the flight landed in Detroit. Kurt and I have been saying since day one that things were NOT handled properly and the security was complete chaos (which put us in more danger), and laid it out for anyone who would listen. Of course, our words were rarely published by the mainstream media. It's crazy that it took over a month for this article to come out, but I am glad that everything that does come out pretty much backs us up. People who have doubted us can now eat their words even more.

Click here to read.

THE TRUTH ABOUT FLIGHT 253 HAS BEEN REVEALED- By Kurt Haskell

Edited January 29, 2009

***Please note that in the article that follows, I am not claiming that the U.S. Government knew Mutallab had a bomb or intended to hurt anyone on Flight 253 when the U.S. Government let him board.

THE SHARP DRESSED MAN WHO AIDED MUTALLAB ONTO FLIGHT 253 WAS A U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENT.

Since our flight landed on Christmas Day, Lori and I have been doing everything in our power to uncover the truth about why we were almost blown up in the air over Detroit. The truth is now finally out after the publication of the following Detroit News article:

http://detnews.com/article/20100127/NATION/1270405/Terror-suspect-kept-visa-to-avoid-tipping-off-larger-investigation

Let me quote from the article:



"Patrick F. Kennedy, an undersecretary for management at the State Department, said Abdulmutallab's visa wasn't taken away because intelligence officials asked his agency not to deny a visa to the suspected terrorist over concerns that a denial would've foiled a larger investigation into al-Qaeda threats against the United States.

"Revocation action would've disclosed what they were doing," Kennedy said in testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security. Allowing Adbulmutallab to keep the visa increased chances federal investigators would be able to get closer to apprehending the terror network he is accused of working with, "rather than simply knocking out one solider in that effort."'



Now it all becomes apparent. Let me detail everything we know about the "Sharp Dressed Man" (SDM).
1. While being held in Customs on Christmas Day, I first told the story of the SDM.
2. My story has never changed.
3. The FBI visited my office on December 29, 2009, and showed me a series of approximately 10 photographs. None were of the SDM. I asked the FBI if they brought the Amsterdam security video to help me identify the SDM, but they acted as though my request was ridiculous. The FBI asked me what accent the SDM spoke in and I indicated that he had an American accent similar to my own. I further indicated that he wore a tan suit without a tie, was Indian looking, around age 50, 6'0" tall and 250-260 lbs. I further indicated that I did not believe that he was an airline employee and that he was not on our flight.
4. During the first week of January, 2010, Dutch Military Police and the FBI indicated that over "200 Hours" of Amsterdam airport security video had been reviewed and it "Shows Nothing".
5. The mainstream media picked up the "Shows nothing" story, which slanders my story. After visiting my office twice for a flight 253 special, Dateline NBC and Chris Hanson indicated that my story was "Unsubstantiated rumor dispelled as myth" and our story did not air during the tv special.
6. On January 2, 2010, I receive a call from a flight 253 passenger who indicated to me that it may be in my best interest to stop talking publicly about the SDM because he believes I am "wrong" in what I saw. He did not make any claim that he saw the SDM boarding gate incident at all. This call was made out of the blue after he made a "revelation" of this event on January 1, 2010. I later discover that this caller has ties to the U.S. Government.
7. On January 20, 2010, current Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Michael E. Leiter, made a startling admission. Leiter indicated that: "I will tell you, that when people come to the country and they are on the watch list, it is because we have generally made the choice that we want them here in the country for some reason or another."
8. On January 22, 2010, CongressDaily reported that intelligence officials "have acknowledged the government knowingly allows foreigners whose names are on terrorist watch lists to enter the country in order to track their movement and activities."

CongressDaily also reported, citing an unnamed "intelligence official" that Michael E. Leiter's statement on January 20, 2010, reflected government policy and told the publication, "in certain situations it's to our advantage to be able to track individuals who might be on a terrorist watch list because you can learn something from their activities and their contacts."
9. On January 22, 2010, ABC News published an article that showed a change of position in the government's official story. Please see the following blog post for more information:

http://haskellfamily.blogspot.com/2010/01/initially-discounted.html

The U.S. government provided no explanation for the reason my story was initially discounted.
10. The SDM could not be from Al Qaeda. When speaking at the counter in Amsterdam, the SDM said the following "He is from Sudan, we do this all the time". Who is "we"? If it is Al Qaeda, you surely don't make such a statement to an airport security official.
11. The SDM could not be from airport security. The SDM did not dress in any security uniform and did not appear to have any security badge. The SDM did not speak with a Dutch accent. The SDM dressed in a suit coat and pants. If the SDM was a higher up security official, he would not have to convince the ticket agent to let Mutallab on the plane without a valid passport. Instead, he would just order her to do it.
12. Could the SDM have been a U.S. Government official? He dressed in a suit and not a security uniform. Check. He indicated we do this all the time. Could "we" be the U.S. Government? Check. He spoke Enlish with an American accent. Check. Would he need to convince the ticket agent that this was a normal procedure to allow boarding without a passport? Check. Would he have the ability to obtain such clearance? Check. Could he enter this security area even though he wasn't a passenger? Check. Would the ticket agent likely refer this request to a manager? Check. Would the U.S. Government not want this information public and try to hide it? Check.
13. The Amsterdam security video has not been released. A much more minor airport security violation occurred at the Newark New Jersey airport several days after the flight 253 incident. That video was released shortly thereafter.
14. Senators Levin and Stabenow, as well as Congressman Dingle, all refuse to discuss the matter with me.

With the information we already knew and the admission from the above referenced Detroit News article, we have evidence and claims made by government officials that the U.S. Government wanted Mutallab to proceed into the U.S. in order to obtain information on other terrorists involved with him. Once we take this statement and add it to my eyewitness account of a "Sharp Dressed Man" escorting Mutallab through the boarding process and allowing him to board without a valid passport we can make the connection that the "Sharp Dressed Man" was a U.S. Government official/agent.

The reasoning behind the following events now becomes very clear:

1. The reason Mutallab got through security despite the numerous warnings for months before our flight.
2. The reason why there have been so many lies from the U.S. Government attempting to discredit my eyewitness account.
3. The reason why the Amsterdam airport security video is being hidden from the public.
4. The reason why the government is proposing a "Failed to Connect the Dots" account of the failure. The truth is too damning.
5. The reason why Mr. Wolf of the Obama administration indicated on the Keith Olberman Show that the White House was investigating a possible "intentional act" from within the U.S. Government as the reason for the Christmas Day attack.
6. The explanation for the cameraman and why he hasn't been identified (Obviously, he was another U.S. Government agent) whose job was to film Mutallab for some governmental purpose.
7. The reason for the lax security after landing, which can be attributed to foreknowledge of the possible suspects involved.
8. The reason for the failure to search or secure the plane and passengers after landing, which can also be attributed to foreknowledge of the possible suspects involved.
9. The corporate media's attempt to bury my eyewitness account.
10. Carl Levin's, Debbie Stabenow's and John Dingle's intentional avoidance of my story and failure to return my calls/emails.
11. Janet Napolitano's statement that "The System Worked". From her point of view it probably did as this WAS PART OF THE SYSTEM!

This article is the big center piece of the puzzle that has been missing and was needed to finish the entire puzzle.

Tuna Crunch Pie

Made a new recipe tonight that I loved. Called a Tuna Crunch Bake. I made little modifications to the recipe, check it out below. This recipe was copied from the site you can click on here.

Tuna Crunch Pie

Ingredients:

•Crust:
•1 1/2 cups flour
•1 cup shredded cheddar (used Habenero Kroger Shredded Cheese)
•1 tsp. salt (used kosher salt)
•1 tsp. paprika
•1/2 cup butter (melted)

Preparation:
Mix by hand or with pastry blender (hand is easier). Remove 1 cup of crumbs and press remainder in a well buttered 10" pie pan. (I mixed by hand)

Filling
•2 cans (7 oz. each) tuna, drained and flaked (I used three cans of 5 oz white albaccore tuna)
•3 eggs
•1 cup commercial sour cream (used low fat)
•1/2 cup shredded Swiss or Cheddar (again, used Habenero kroger shredded cheese)
•1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad Dressing (used miracle whip0
•2 tablespoons chopped pimiento
•1 tsp. grated onion (was feeling lazy, so I used jarred onion vs chopping one)
•1/4 tsp. dill weed (had to buy this, just when you think you have every spice, you totally do not)
•2 drops hot sauce (I used a lot more than 2 drops, prob like 8)

Put flaked tuna into the crust. Mix remaining ingredients and pour into piepan (I used my awesome pie pan from Pampered chef) over tuna. Sprinkle tuna pie with the reserved crumbs. Sprinkle with a light dusting of paprika and parsley (I used both), if desired. Bake at 400° for 35-40 min. or until golden brown. Let tuna pie cool 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

I followed these directions pretty closely. Put in the oven, went downstairs to work out, came up, took out of oven, went downstairs and finished my workout, came up and served. I loved it!! When making it, i wondered, because it did not look very yummy, but it ended up amazing. You could prob add some cayenne or something to make it more spicy, but it was good as is as well.

Work was crazy busy today. Day went by insanely quickly. We took on a really interesting criminal law case today, so I am interested to see how it plays out. I called an attorney today on a divorce I was hired on, and the first thing he says to me is "are you the famous airplane girl"? I don't even know this attorney, so that comment struck me as hilarious for some reason. Apparently, more people have heard our story than I realized. Kurt was called and asked to be on Frank Beckman again this morning. It was a good update of the most recent news that was reported by ABC (which I talked about below). Also, the Discovery Channel called again today and talked to me in detail about what I saw on the plane. They may be coming to the office later this week to tape.

Am a little annoyed with Washington right now. I know, something new, right? LOL. Kurt called Carl Levin's office, and I called Joe lieberman's to try to talk to someone about what we saw, since they are both on the committee looking into it. Kurt and I were both transferred to the Department of Homeland Security. Both of us were transferred to a voice mail of people working on Flight 253 stuff. neither one of us have received a return phone call. So odd. I want to help and do what I can, and they are just NOT interested. No idea why, but i guess they think it's easier to investigate without talking to EYE witnesses. Well, I tried, that's all I can really do.

Off to bed. Have a great night.

Shoes and Jewelry

So, I did some shopping online today. I get really attached to shoes, and I really need to throw a couple pairs of heels away. Or maybe I am just addicted to shoes....Whatever the case, Amazon has some amazing deals right now! If you click on Shoes, there is a button where you click on 70% or more off. GREAT deals. Also, two of the pairs had coupons for $10 more off each pair, so I really got even better deals. I also bought a few new rings on HSN's clearance site. Really good deals on their sales and clearance section on that site as well. Anyway, here is what I got! Hopefully, I like everything. And, I have to say, I am really lucky that I have a husband who never questions anything I buy or shopping in general. He actually encourages me to buy whatever I want. Love you honey! :).

Had a great weekend, NOT working. Had lunch with Hollie and Angela yesterday at Mongolian BBQ in Dearborn. Dinner with Kurty last night at Nick and Nino's. We were going to work part of a day this weekend, but ended up not going in at all, which was fine with me! :). I hate working on weekends.

Was happy to get ALMOST caught up on laundry this weekend.........Some things got put away that have been sitting in the laundry room for ages. Ever since Christmas and the madness that has followed, I have been too busy to do much of anything around here.

Started planning Kurt's b-day trip. Pre-Flight 253, I was looking at NYC, Boston, Dallas, San Diego......now, Kurt does not want to fly (and neither do i this quickly for that matter), so I am looking at places to drive to from Newport. So far, Indianapolis is looking like the place! The Pistons are playing there that weekend too, so we could catch a game. They have a lot of museums and other stuff to see there, and it is only like a little over 4 hours to drive, assuming the roads are OK then. Looks like hotels are pretty cheap in that city too. If anyone has any good suggestions for hotels, restaurants, things to do in Indy, let me know!

Also, this is totally off subject, but I want to start making my own pasta sauce. If anyone has a great marinara recipe, more specifically, a spicy one, I would love it! :). I want to make a bunch and freeze it. I am just not overly thrilled with what is available on the market.

Anyway, hope everyone had a great weekend.

First and fourth pair below are by Sofft, which is a fav brand of mine for work. They are really comfy for heels, but can be pricey, so I always wait for them to be marked down a lot. the second pair is Diesel, which I have never owned, but they were more than $100 off! Crazy! I loved the third pair because o the red on the back of the heel and on the front, and the brand is Poetic License, which I love. I have one other pair that I get compliments on all the time.

Coast to Coast 1/16/2010

Four Parts of this show, see below:

John McGowan Show 1/15/10

Initially "Discounted"

OMFG. Cannot even believe the article below. I think I may have fallen over if I had been standing when I read this article. A woman posted a link to this article in comments on my blog, and I clicked on it. Most of the article has nothing to do with Flight 253. Which is interesting too. Why is this not total breaking news????? The part of the article that is incredible, I will post below.

I think we now know WHY the video is not being released. Because IT SHOWS WHAT KURT SAID!!!!!! I mean, where is his apology? Where? They come out in the media, basically calling Kurt a liar, then they take it back, but it is in the bottom of another nonrelated article. Ridiculous. And still, to date, no authorities contactinig KURT to ask him to look at the freaking video and help identify the guy. It's so insane to me. We have an eyewitness to this, and they just don't care.

"Federal agents also tell ABCNews.com they are attempting to identify a man who passengers said helped Abdulmutallab change planes for Detroit when he landed in Amsterdam from Lagos, Nigeria.

Authorities had initially discounted the passenger accounts, but the agents say there is a growing belief the man have played a role to make sure Abdulmutallab "did not get cold feet."

Click here to read the entire article

Speaking Engagement

Kurt and I were invited to the weekly Taylor Rotary Club meeting. I made Kurt speak, LOL. Anyway, it was a really nice lunch, and the meeting itself was fun and interesting. The people there were very nice and interested in what we had to say, and their committment to community service is admirable.

Once I am done with my school board committment, I may be interested in joining an organization like this. Anyway, it was nice to be asked to speak, and we really enjoyed the experience.

New Kitchen Appliance and Fun Recipe

I have been wanting this kitchen appliance for YEARS. Why I never just bought it is beyond me, but I was shopping with Rebecca this weekend, and had a great coupon for Kohl's (30% off anything) and decided to just purchase it. It is called the "Griddler" by Cuisinart, but really I wanted it mostly for the panini making part of it.

Was craving a tuna melt, so I decided to look up a unique recipe to make. I obviously know how to make a simple tuna melt, but I wanted something spicy. Found this and it was AWESOME. I followed the recipe exactly, and it was perfect. Thought the lime juice thing was weird, but it really added an interesting element to the sandwich. Had everything in the house except the jalapeno, red onion, and lime juice, which I stopped to buy tonight before making dinner. Made some instant four cheese mashed potatoes to accompany the sandwiches. If you click on the recipe below, you can find some variations of the recipe, but I loved it this way. Only try if you like spicy though!

Hot and Spicy Tuna Melt Panini
Adapted from Canadian Living
Serves 4ish

Ingredients:

2 cans solid white tuna, drained (used Starkist white albaccore)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (used low fat miracle whip)
1 celery stalk, diced
1/4 red onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper
****used my Cuisinart mini-prep to dice all the veggies at once
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (used Spice Islands)
2 teaspoons lime juice
4 panini buns, halved (used regular bread)
4 slices Monterey Jack cheese with hot peppers (used Sargento® Limited Edition Sliced 4 Pepper Fiesta Blend Pepper Jack Cheese)

Method:

1. Mix tuna, mayonnaise, celery, onion, jalapeno, chili powder and lime juice in a bowl.

2. Spread about a quarter of the mixture over each panini bottom, top with cheese and close the sandwich.

3. Cook in a panini press on medium until buns are toasted and cheese is melted, about 6 minutes.

Note: if you do not have a panini press, you can use a skillet. Just press to flatten.

The Latest Election--MA

For the past year, I have avoided "politics". I detest the "game". I only supported Obama because I could not stand Sarah Palin. I hate how it's never really about the issues, and always about something behind the scenes and who pays what into a campaign. I hate how politicians never seem to be honest, and always use "legal" language to talk around actually answering a question.

Those who know me know I generally lean left in my social thinking. Kurt and I both do really.

I have been just LIVID since Obama's "speech" and nonreaction to Flight 253. I was almost blown up, and he stays in Hawaii on vacation with his family. When he finally does come back to Washington, he delivers a speech which "kind of" places blame on himself and Washington, but does not place specific blame on ANY agency or person, he fires NOBODY, and he says the places will deal with this "internally". To translate, he will "sweep this all under the rug until everyone forgets about it". (Oh, and right after the speech, he went golfing).

I call BULLSHIT. Do your effing job, Obama. You KNOW who screwed up. I am not buying you are stupid with your pretty Harvard law school degree hanging in your office. Stop being so nonchalant about anything and everything. When Obama was running, I loved his laidback, never stressed out demeanor. Now, I would like him to actually dispay some sort of his passion for Americans and their well-being. For something that is not politically based (i.e. healthcare bill).

Obama lost the election for the Democrat in MA. Notice her huge drop in the polls AFTER the December 25 attack. I do not think it's coincidence. I don't know that I would have voted for the Democrat, and I don't think I have voted Republican once in my life.

So, yes, Obama, I want change. Desperately. I want politics to be about honesty, and people being forthright. I want the truth. I want passion. And if I have to start looking to other political parties out there to get that, I will. I am not going to continually support someone who very obviously could care less about me and other Americans' safety.

Netflix--2009

Below is what I watched with the help of my Netflix subscription this year. :). Being friends on Netflix is fun, if you want to add me and you are on there, click here to do so.

Movies and Documentaries

Camp Out

Dear Zachary

Dance 'Til Dawn

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Bride Wars

Gorillas in the Mist

The Strangers

W.

TV Shows

90210: Season 1: Discs 1-5

Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Seasons 1 and 2

Laguna Beach: Seasons 1 and 2

The Hills: Seasons 1-5

Weeds: Season 4: Discs 1 and 2

The L Word: Season 5: Discs 3 and 4

Gilmore Girls: Seasons 5-7

Really Well Said

Click here to read the article.

The article above really reflects my thoughts on Washington and various related agencies NOT taking responsibility for what happened on Flight 253.

The Weird Factor by Justin Raimondo -- Antiwar.com

The Weird Factor by Justin Raimondo -- Antiwar.com

Veggie Chili

I have been craving chili, and decided to try to make my own tonight. I normally just buy it at Trader Joe's, but thought I could make a huge batch myself and freeze the extra which would be cost-effective and better for me. The recipe I found I liked because of it's title (hey, it has to be good if it's called what it is, The Best Vegetarian Chili in the World), the variety of beans in it, and the use of boca meat.

Anyway, LOVE IT. Highly recommend. I followed this recipe exactly. It was spicy, however, if you really like spicy, you could possibly add some cayenne.........

Click here to see the recipe I used.

John Oakley Show--Toronto

Me on the John Oakley show this morning--Click here to listen, click on link 10_0113.

Barry Shainbaum Show

Click on this link, then scroll to the bottom and click "listen" next to the link for January 10, 2010. Kurt is the last 20 minutes, I believe of this radio show.

New Article

Really well written post by a writer who has been extremely friendly and nice to us throughout this ordeal, click here to read. She puts into words some thoughts and feelings I personally have been having during the events that occurred after the attack.

U.S.-Israeli Complicity in Terror Plot, FBI, Media Cover-Up Flight 253 Assistance (UPDATES)

U.S.-Israeli Complicity in Terror Plot, FBI, Media Cover-Up Flight 253 Assistance (UPDATES)

100.7 WZLK--Boston

Was on another show in Boston this morning, click here to listen.

Africa--Uganda Update

Who wants Lori to finally get done with all her Africa pics? Me! I have been SUPER SLOW at this, but am still chugging away. I am doing them in groups--separating them out by park, island, area of the country, because there are a lot of pics and I have had such limited time lately. Also, my computer is acting weird in relation to uploading pics, so it has been hard to upload them.

Anyway, I have a couple albums ready for everyone. I am going to link to my facebook albums, since I have not yet had time to make a Flickr slideshow and am not done with them all yet. So far, I have done Ngamba Island, Bwindi, and Lake Mburo National Park.

Click here to see Lake Mburo

Click here to see Ngamba Island

Click here to see Bwindi

I am working on a trip report and the rest of my million pics. OK, maybe not a million, but more than any trip to date!

Off to bed......

Mojo in the Morning Show--95.5

Me, on the radio this morning. Or Lisa, as they call me on this link below, haha.

Update to Flight 253 Details

By Kurt Haskell

It is becoming apparent that the authorities will never release the security video from the Amsterdam airport. This video would appear to be the only evidence that can provide a description of the "sharp dressed man". The only other possibility is if I (or another witness) could provide an accurate description of this man that could help a police sketch artist make an accurate drawing. My memory of this man is currently not detailed enough to make such a description. Therefore, this afternoon I decided to visit a hypnotist in order to possibly obtain a better description. The session was somewhat of a success and I did remember some additional details. There will be another session shortly, which will hopefully lead to a sketch of this man. I will keep everyone updated. Please note the post from earlier today, which describes our recent contact with a fellow passenger who confirms my account of "the sharp dressed man".

Govern America--Radio Show Today

Click here

BREAKING NEWS--Well Dressed Man Story Backed Up by Second Passenger

Kurt just had contact with an individual from our flight. This person, who wishes to remain anonymous, has backed up his story on the well dressed man, however, this person does not want to come out in public and tell their story, as they are worried they will suffer some sort of backlash as we have. How sad is that? They have read people talking badly about us online, and they don't want the same thing to happen to them or their family.

When Kurt asked this person for details, their story aligned with his. This person was sitting right next to us in the glass room by the last boarding person. When Kurt asked this person how sure they were that the terrorist was the man with the well dressed man, or if they did not know for sure, their response was 99% it was the terrorist.

Kurt was thrilled to talk to someone who saw the same thing. Even though this person does not want to come out to the public right now, it made both of us feel really good to hear someone else witnessed what Kurt did.

The plot seems to keep thickening.......Who knows if they will ever look into the claims though, no matter HOW many people come out and admit that this situation did happen.

Wow.

Government Control

So, someone emailed me today that Dateline's Chris Hansen was on a local radio show, and when one of the DJs asked him about the man who may have helped AM onto the plane, "Hansen brushed it off and said that this was just unfounded rumors that have been dispelled as myth."

This is perplexing to me. Two reps from Dateline came to our office the Monday following the incident and met him Kurt for some time. The reps told Kurt they were VERY interested in the story, and were going to pitch doing an episode on what Kurt and I saw in order to get it out there and get the public to want it looked into. They have called since, and emailed me, saying that they were still pitching the story, etc. I believe the two Kurt met with were VERY sincere.

Enter the Dateline Special on Sunday night! The one Kurt and I were not talked to for, and the one that they are interviewing passengers of interest for. How can what Kurt saw not be of interest on a special like this? Makes me wonder if the government is somehow controlling what stations and reporters can talk about this. Why do a lot of bigger media outlets seem scared of possibly finding out the truth? You would think a "good" reporter would want to look at all aspects of a story, instead of simply dismissing someone's claim without looking into it further.

Anyway, this as well as other things that have happened since really make me wonder about how much government is controlling different aspects of everyone's life......

Kurt on WWL Radio

Kurt on WWL radio.

Prayers from Kids

I called my Mom and told her about the terrorist incident right before the family sat down to eat Christmas dinnr.

At dinner, my nephew, Jimmy, announced that he wanted to say grace. They all expected him to thank God for the food, for his holiday gifts, or someplace similar.

Instead, this was Jimmy's prayer: "Dear God, Thank you for ...keeping Lori safe on the airplane with the bomb! Amen :)"

I think that is the nicest prayer I have ever heard. Thanks Jimmy! :).

Kurt on Fox News Yesterday

Thoughts on the Report

Obama was supposed to speak at 3:00 p.m.

He decided to be fashionably late and appear at 4:30 p.m.

I was at work and did not see his prepared speech. I got a call at the end of the workday from a reporter asking for my thoughts on his speech, and when I told him that I had not seen it, he emailed me the written Report that had been issued to the public (I would prefer to see the 'real' version which was edited before being given to the media). Click here to read details about what he talked about, if you did not see it either.

It was 6 pages, so I sat down and read it. Rolled my eyes at first, became angry toward the end. What's weird is, throughout this entire aftermath, I have been pretty indifferent. I have not gotten upset really, no anger, nothing. I really think I am still in shock. After reading that report, something in me snapped, and I got ANGRY. I made my first comments to a reporter that really showed how angry I really am about all of this. And I am not looking back in that regard.

Shockingly, the Report states that there was some fault by the Government here. I know. I am still sitting here with my mouth open as well. The Government screws up? And admits it? Of course, following the admission, this was stated "security lapses that led to the near-disaster were not the fault of a single individual or agency".

But, what really made me angry was reading in print about the details. What easily could have been done if the government employees in charge here would have simply DONE THEIR JOBS and followed proper protocol. The jobs that MY, and most Americans, tax dollars pay. Who knows what they earn, but because they were not doing their job properly, my husband and I were almost killed. In any other job in the country, this would constitute being FIRED. Inexcusable. However, our President is going to do nothing, except have them deal internally with this. Report back to him later. Basically, let things just be swept under the rug until Americans kinda forget what happened and we just go back to how things were before. No biggie, right? 8 years have passed since 9-11, so I guess everyone is doing a great job. "Obama didn't tell intelligence officials to change what they're doing. Instead, he told them to just do it better, and faster. He left it to them to figure out how." Why, Mr. President? Because they have done it so well thus far? Don't you think they need a little bit of freaking guidance?

Also, everyone, please note that NOTHING was said about the security issues after we landed, nothing at all said about the well dressed man or the man in orange. Still no video. Notice the video from the Newark incident was ALREADY released, shortly after it occurred.

I really am pretty positive the problem is not going to be fixed based on Obama's report today. I also think the true story of what we saw, and a fix for what happened in Detroit afterwards, will not be talked about.

I wish the government would stop making this about politics. People screwed up. Don't try to protect the current administration by ignoring this.

All I want is an honest investigation. Why is that so difficult?

Weird Conversation of the Day

Received a call and an email today from a person who said that they are a police detective in Amsterdam (not part of the investigation, however).

He said he has been on US news sites reading about Flight 253 and the like, and became very interested when he read our accounting of the events. He said he has been following this story very closely, but had not heard anything about what Kurt and I have been saying in the media and had not heard of the well dressed man at all. He talked to some others as well, who had not heard the details.

This person apparently knows one of the men who is part of the investigation, and called him to see if they were aware of this and to try and get more details from him. The man told this detective that he did not even know who we were and had heard nothing of what we witnessed. He also said the FBI/US had given him a list of potential passengers who may have pertinent info to contact and that our names were not on the list at all. He told the detective he would be interested in talking to us and asked if he had our contact info. the detective said he was going to call us and the man working on the investigation told him to give his contact info to us and ask us to call him, if he does not call us, first.

We took his name and number, but because of the time difference, have not been able to call yet.

Anyway, I have no clue if this guy is telling me the truth or whatever, but it was a really interesting phone call and email. We also have the number to call, and if it is truly the investigators, maybe they will look into our claims moreso than the US seems to be.

If this is all true, I want to know why the FBI/Customs would not tell Amsterdam to look into what we saw. Why?

Will keep you all posted on what happens.

U.S. learned intelligence on airline bomb suspect while he was en route - latimes.com

U.S. learned intelligence on airline bomb suspect while he was en route - latimes.com

Posted using ShareThis

Article from the LA TIMES

**Strange things being reported, this story just continues to get more weird every day. I am glad our intelligence agencies want to be congratulated for *almost* stopping the bomber. Thank you so much, Ms. Napolitano. I appreciate you almost stopping me from being part of a terrorist attack. Almost does not quite cut it in this case though........

Find this article by clicking here, LA TIMES

U.S. learned intelligence on airline bomb suspect while he was en route
U.S. border enforcement officials came close to stopping the attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines jet while the suspect was en route to Detroit on Christmas Day, new data show.

January 6, 2010 5:36 p.m.

Reporting from Washington - U.S. border security officials learned of intelligence about the alleged extremist links of the suspect in the Christmas Day airline bombing attempt as he was en route to Detroit and had decided to question him when he landed, officials said in new disclosures today.

The new information shows that border enforcement officials came close to uncovering the plot despite previous intelligence failures that were criticized by President Obama this week.

If the intelligence had been discovered sooner, it could have resulted in the interrogation and search of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab before he boarded the Amsterdam-to-Detroit flight, senior law enforcement officials said.

"The people in Detroit were prepared to look at him in secondary inspection," said a senior law enforcement official who requested anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. "The decision had been made. The . . . database had picked up the State Department concern about this guy, that this guy may have been involved with extremist elements in Yemen. . . . They could have made a decision on whether to stop him from getting on the plane."

Nonetheless, the revelations underscore the complexity of the intelligence and passenger screening systems that are the subject of comprehensive reviews to be revealed by the administration Thursday.

Even if U.S. border enforcement officials had learned of the Nigerian's alleged extremist links in time, it is not clear the intelligence was strong enough to cause Dutch officials to search him or block him from flying, officials said. The threshold for requiring a foreign visitor to undergo special scrutiny upon arrival in the United States is considerably lower than criteria for preventing him from getting on the plane overseas, according to current and former law enforcement officials. That is why border enforcement officials rely heavily on terrorism watch lists, officials said.

"The public isn't aware how many people are allowed to travel through the U.S. who are linked, who intersect with bad guys or alleged bad guys," a national security official said. "It makes sense from an intelligence perspective. If they are not considered dangerous, it provides intelligence on where they go, who they meet with."

Moreover, the window for identifying a passenger as a potential threat before boarding is limited, according to a senior homeland security official. Although U.S. border enforcement officials have access to passenger data based on reservation lists and use them for preliminary assessments, the in-depth vetting by Customs and Border Protection only begins once the flight manifest has been generated, just a few hours before takeoff, and focuses on potential actions to take at the U.S. border, the official said.

As a result, the intelligence about Abdulmutallab was discovered in a database by Customs and Border Protection inspectors based at the National Targeting Center in Washington once the plane was airborne, the other law enforcement officials said. The administration's review of screening now underway includes an effort to make more information accessible to U.S.inspectors further in advance of flights, the senior law enforcement official said.

Customs and Border Protection spokesmen declined to comment because the investigation is still open.

In Detroit today, federal prosecutors filed a six-count indictment charging Abdulmutallab, 23, for his alleged role in the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253. The Nigerian already had been charged in a criminal complaint, and the indictment accuses him of placing a destructive device on an aircraft, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and other charges that carry a penalty of up to life in prison.

"This investigation is fast-paced, global and ongoing, and it has already yielded valuable intelligence that we will follow wherever it leads," Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. said today. "Anyone we find responsible for this alleged attack will be brought to justice using every tool -- military or judicial -- available to our government."

Abdulmutallab has provided valuable information to the FBI and federal prosecutors about his dealings with extremists in Yemen, where he was allegedly trained and outfitted with the explosive device that he concealed in his underwear during the trip that began in Ghana, according to U.S. law enforcement officials. Abdulmutallab has told interrogators that the plot involved meetings in Yemen with Anwar al Awlaki, an American-born Yemeni cleric suspected of involvement with Al Qaeda. In addition, communications intercepts detected discussions about Awlaki's role in a suspected plot involving a Nigerian, U.S. officials have said.

The investigation has also uncovered communications between Abdulmutallab and Awlaki, a U.S. anti-terrorism official said today.

"He was definitely in communication with Awlaki," said the official. "That's been documented."

Justice Department officials declined to comment on whether Abdulmutallab's cooperation could result in a reduced sentence. But officials familiar with the case have said a plea deal could short-circuit the debate over his being charged in a civilian court.

Some Republican lawmakers and independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, have criticized the Obama administration for that decision, saying he should be interrogated and charged as an enemy combatant, without the right to counsel.

Times staff writers Josh Meyer and Christi Parsons contributed to this article.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING

By Kurt Haskell



Over the past week, Lori and I have been expecting an announcement by authorities that they have reviewed the Amsterdam airport security footage and found nothing. Well, today we got that announcement.



http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9D1OPVO0&show_article=1



We never once thought that we would see an accurate unedited version of the 2-3 minute clip of the terrorist with the "sharp dressed man". Even though Dutch officials have had the video for 11 days, it apparently took them that long to review the 2-3 minute clip. According to Dutch authorities, they have reviewed 200 hours of video. Why? What video is so lenghty? Sure sounds like Dutch authorities are doing a thorough investigation , or maybe they want the public to think that they are doing a thorough investigation. Seriously, I cannot believe that 200 hours of video exists. Of course, it was too much work to show the 2-3 minute clip to the flight 253 passengers and the rest of the world. Apparently, it is much easier to say nothing was on the video then to attempt to disprove my story. I guess another possibility is that the Dutch authorities just need more time to edit out the relevant portion of the video. LOL.



Over and over again the American public is being spoon fed conclusions by the Federal government and then spoon fed "The Fix to the Problem". At what point is the government going to give the American citizens proof that supports their ultimate conclusion(s)? I am beginning to think never. Please don't forget that the authorities work for the American people, not the other way around. The American public is getting pretty tired of hearing conclusions wihtout proof. This sort of behavior by the federal government breeds a very strong distrust from the American people. I fear a storm is brewing unless we see substantial change in the near future.



Very curious that an article of mine regarding flight 253 was removed from the Drudgereport not once, but twice this week. What is going on?



A good look at the unedited security video would make me feel a lot better, but the government apparently has more important things to do.

Dutch say failed plane bomber acted alone

**I guess we are always supposed to believe that the authorities are telling us the truth, and always tell us the truth. Notice, no release of the video, nothing. The video of him boarding and such and prior would be so short and easy to show. Not hard at all to release. So odd. And why does the airport have to review 200 hours to see this? The guy was there at a very specific point and this should have been done LONG ago. I don't get the delay. Are they trying to bolster their claims more, by saying they reviews a whole 200 hours?

Even if Kurt is wrong, and what he saw was another individual who looked similar, proper procedures were still not followed in regards to that person. When a refugee gets on a plane, the paperwork is supposed to be set up and done FAR before boarding any plane, not with a supervisor at the airport.

No matter what the case, security and the measures followed before, during and after this event was horrible and needs to be looked into. I hope the governement does not just gloss over this now and say he was a lone crazy person, it won't happen again.......

We actually thought a report like this would come out, ironically.....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100105/ts_nm/us_security_airline

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas acted alone and probably smuggled the explosives from Nigeria, the Dutch public prosecutor said on Tuesday.

The prosecutor's office said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab did not have an accomplice at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, as some other passengers on the flight had alleged.

Abdulmutallab, 23, the son of a prominent banker, flew from Lagos to Amsterdam on a KLM flight, arriving on Christmas Day. Prosecutors said the seats from that plane are still being examined for traces of explosives.

In Amsterdam, Abdulmutallab went through a profile interview and a security check before waiting at the gate for his flight.

He is charged with trying to blow up the flight, Northwest Flight 253, outside of Detroit with a highly explosive substance hidden in his underwear.

Some of the passengers on the plane had said they saw him accompanied at the gate in Amsterdam by an older, well-dressed Indian or Pakistani man. But the review of more than 200 hours of video showed no one with him, the officials said.

(Reporting by Ben Berkowitz; Editing by Jon Boyle)

JANET NAPOLITANO: OPEN MOUTH INSERT FOOT--By Kurt Haskell

By Kurt Haskell:

On December 27, 2009, two days after my wife, Lori, and I were innocent victims of Flight 253, our wonderful Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano came out and had the following response to our flight, "the system worked". At a time when many of the flight 253 passengers were very emotionally disturbed due to the terrorist attack on our flight on Christmas Day, Janet Napolitano comes out with this sucker punch to the gut of all of the flight 253 passengers. Oh Janet what are we to do with you?

The system worked only due to a dysfunctional bomb and some heroic passengers on flight 253. Janet, please explain how did the system work?

Yesterday, January 3, 2009, Janet "clarified" her statement through White House aid John Brennan, who appeared on Meet The Press and other television programs. John Brennan now explained that Janet Napolitano was misquoted and actually meant that the system worked "after the plane landed". Seriously Janet, I know that you are trying to save your job, but quit playing the American public for fools.

Let's see if we can clear up how the system worked after we landed.

1. Instead of having an emergency evacuation of the plane, no passengers were let off of flight 253 for appr. 20 minutes after we landed. At this time, nobody knew if any accomplices or further bombs were on board the plane. Instead, the FBI was more concerned with taking the handcuffed terrorist off the plane, before dealing with us. Let's save the TERRORIST from another possible bomb on the plane, SCREW the passengers and crew.

2. The passengers were allowed to leave the plane with their carry on bags, possibly destroying a valuable crime scene (the plane).

3. The passengers were allowed to take their carry on bags into the terminal and the passengers were grouped together for appr. one hour until bomb sniffing dogs arrived. At anytime, a bomb could have exploded from any carry on bag and destroyed the entire terminal.

4. Something was apparently discovered in a carry on bag when a "bomb sniffing" dog detected it in the carry on bag of "the man in orange". He was then questioned and taken away in handcuffs. We were then moved for our safety.

5. For quite some time after we entered the terminal, the officers watching over us had no idea that a bomb was even on our plane, and therefore, had no idea to watch closely for a second bomb.

6. A man videotaped the entire terrorist attack on board the plane, and even though authorities were told in customs the 4 possible seats the "camera man" was in, they took no action to secure the video, and to my knowledge never obtained the video (which could have contained significant evidence).

Thanks Janet for the follow up insulting comment. It's always nice to receive a second sucker punch to the gut a few days after you just received one. Janet, PLEASE STOP VICTIMIZING THE FLIGHT 253 PASSENGERS!

Janet, I'm sure you will soon be joining many of my fellow Mchigan residents in the unemployment line.

Ten days since the terrorist attack and we still don't have the Amsterdam Airport Video. The wait continues........................

Flip side of intelligence failure -- poor response

Click here to read an interesting article by a reporter we really enjoy, Christine Negroni

Ms. Negroni has been very nice to us through all of this, and has done a lot of research into Flight 253 and the aftermath. Thanks again, Christine.

Fellow Passenger Daniel Huisinga Supports My Claim Regarding the "Man in Orange" live on FOX News

By Kurt Haskell

I just found this account by fellow Flight 253 passenger Daniel Huisinga on FOX News where he backs up my claim regarding the "Man in Orange". The term "Man in Orange" was coined by myself and is not specifically used to describe such man in this video, but Daniel is referring to the same man. The important part of the interview regarding this "Man in Orange" begins at 2:42.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlYNTGQAz5Q&feature=related

It is no wonder the "Official Position" regearding the "Man in Orange" has now had 5 different versions.

Thoughts by Lori

Wow.

I think that is really the only word that comes to mind when trying to define how my life has been since just before noon on Christmas.

It still has not sunk in that I almost died on Christmas Day. There was a terrorist on my plane. With a bomb. Who tried to blow our entire plane up, and harm those on the ground below. And, I am still in shock.

Seeing smoke in our cabin, seeing flames going up the wall of the plane.......Finally seeing that A TERRORIST did this, and was not a weird plane electrical problem or something........

Being on the plane, while this happened, was one of the most helpless feelings of my life. There is no place to go. Nothing you can do. When you are at 20000 feet, you can't just jump out of the plane. You are stuck. It is the one and only time in my life I have been sure I was going to die. And for some reason, I kept thinking about my Mom, and tears were coming to my eyes because I thought I might never talk to her again.

It's even worse when you have a husband who is also scared flying, and now all of his worst fears are coming true, right in FRONT of him to witness.

We were in Row 27 H and J. "He" was in Row 19A. Only 8 rows away, across the plane. In clear view. On one hand, I wish I did not have to witness it, because it will be branded in my brain forever. On the other hand, if I had not been able to witness it, the "unknown" may have stressed me out even more.

I, opposite of Kurt, have always been a great flyer. Scared of nothing. Until now. Which is completely, and totally, unfair. But, it is what it is.

What is really unfair about this situation is some things I have been reading online about Kurt, or rather about both of us at times. Kurt wants nothing but a full investigation to be done into this. He saw things that nobody else is claiming to see, and wants to feel safe flying again. And people on message boards, comments on news articles, they are CRITICIZING him. Trying to say that we are using this to promote business, for our future political runs, or whatever. All of which are ridiculous. Those that "know" Kurt and I in "real" life know we are extremely private people, who spend a lot of time at home and have no desire, in any way, to be in the limelight. I keep this blog to update friends and family on my life, since I so rarely get to see them. My office is the busiest I know of in our area, and we do not need more business and would never use something as tragic as this to promote our business--that's sick. And, since both of us HATE politics and refuse to even associate with a political party any longer, that claim is the most laughable.

What's funny is, I almost just died, and instead of sympathy, some out there are sooooo negative. I am guessing the negative people would not want to relive that day in my shoes, but people are always out there questioning others and wanting to doubt.

Anyway, when I have time and energy (this has all been really draining), I plan on posting more about what happened in our experience, as well as all the details from my Uganda trip, which was amazing.

I thank everyone in the public supporting us for doing so. the emails and calls we have gotten from complete strangers has been just heartwarming and eyeopening, and really make me proud to be an American. And to all my friends and family, thanks for being there and supporting us, and believing us, like you always have. I am truly blessed to still be alive to write this email, and to have the support system I do in my life.

Happy New Year, everyone, and safe travels.

UPDATE ON FLIGHT 253: A CONVERSATION WITH A FELLOW PASSENGER--By Kurt Haskell

Today I received a phone call from a fellow passenger, Bo Taylor (Bo indicated that I could identify him). This was the first contact I have had with any other passenger (besides Lori) since we left customs on Christmas Day. The conversation was very interesting because we both saw different things and were able to compare notes.

In the interest of obtaining the truth, which has always been my goal, I am posting the following account of Bo Taylor that differs from mine:

"After we landed in Detroit I saw an older looking teenager who was African and looked NEARLY IDENTICAL to the terrorist bomber. Since he was a minor, and travelling alone, he was accompanied by an airport employee at all times. Kurt, this could have been the guy you saw in Amsterdam before we boarded." I have no reason whatsoever to dispute the veracity of Bo's statement. I also have no reason to not believe what I saw.

Two different people can see two different things. However, I am not sure that it matters that much. You see, if Bo is correct, than we have a possible future airline security breach since the teenager was allowed on the plane without a passport(apparently) due to coming from Sudan (apparently). This may be a common airline policy that is potentially problematic. If I am correct, well, we have an entirely different and much larger problem. Either way, there are concerns. Either way we need an open, honest, and thorough investigation. There is one way to conclusively determine who is correct, and that would be for the Amsterdam Airport to RELEASE THE CLOSED CAPTION VIDEO FOOTAGE! Seriously, the attack happened 8 days ago, the relevant video is probably 2-3 minutes in length and has(apparently) already been viewed by airport security personnel. So why hasn't it appeared anywhere? Within 24 hours of any bank robbery or gas station hold up, the video of the perpetrator is played all over the news and posted on the internet. If the video really is not related to the terrorist incident, release it and let us move on. If it is related, release it, place it on the internet and let the world attempt to identify the "sharp dressed man". I suspect that due to the potential problems I indicated above (regardless of which account the video supports) federal law enforcement will likely never release the video.

Bo went on to emphasize the numerous amount of gaffes he saw (Many of which I did too) AFTER our plane landed. Bo cited the following as major problems he saw with how the investigation was handled:

1. We were left on the plane too long after landing, which caused unnecessary risk to the passengers.
2. We should have never been allowed to take our carry on bags into the terminal since they were not searched until we had been held for approximately one hour. This also caused unnecessary risk to the passengers.
3. Even though there was a no cell phone policy, Bo observed many people making cell phone calls and believes this was also an unnecessary risk to the passengers.
4. He was particularly concerned that according to him, "law enforcement in customs was not even notified that there was a bomb on our plane until we had been held for quite awhile". He informed me that an officer he spoke to in customs was clueless that there was even a bomb on our plane. Therefore, law enforcement WAS NOT EVEN AWARE of the risk our carry on bags presented while we were held in customs!
5. He indicated that he informed law enforcement that a man videotaped the entire terrorist incident and he gave the following possible seat numbers for the "camera man", seats 31A, 31B, 32A or 32B. However, law enforcement did not verify who was in such seats. Further, law enforcement could have confiscated each camera, but instead let this lead slip away when they let the passengers leave without ever finding the video.

It was very nice to compare notes with a fellow passenger even if his account was somewhat different than mine. My goal is not to prove that what I saw is correct, but only to pose the questions in order to obtain satisfactory answers. An open, honest, and complete investigation is vitally important to the future of all airline passengers. We must all continue to ask the questions until all of our concerns are satisfied.

By the way, the very important questions I posed at the conclusion of yesterday's post continue to remain unanswered.

Kurt Haskell- A Flight 253 passenger and a concerned American Citizen.

Latest Story--By Kurt Haskell

-The Man In Orange and the Merry Go Round of Ron Smith/U.S. Customs-

As many of you know, my wife Lori and I were passengers and innocent victims of Northwest Flight 253 (Flight 253). We have repeated our story many times to various reporters, television and radio stations ,both across the country and abroad. Our story has never changed. What I would like to emphasize in this article is that not only did we almost lose our lives in the air, but we also almost lost our lives after our plane landed. Let me explain.

When Flight 253 landed, the passengers were forced to stay on the plane on the runway for 20 minutes. We were forced to do this despite not knowing whether there was a further bomb on our plane held by another passenger, in a carry on bag, or in the cargo hold. This action taken by law enforcement further endangered the lives of every passenger on flight 253.

After we were removed from the plane all of the passengers of flight 253 were taken to an empty baggage claim area of an airport terminal. We all had our carry on bags with us and we stood together for nearly one hour until bomb sniffing dogs arrived. Three dogs arrived, one lab, and two German shepherds. The dogs were split up and one German shepherd sat next to a bag of “the man in orange” who stood 20 feet from me the entire time until he was detained (see my post yesterday for more detail). This man in orange was immediately taken into a room for questioning. He was not handcuffed at this time. After approximately one hour, the man in orange was taken out of that room, handcuffed, and led away. At this exact time, a law enforcement person came up to the group of flight 253 passengers and said the following (approximate quote) “You are all being moved to another area because this are is not safe. You all just saw what happened and I’m sure you are smart enough to read between the lines and figure out what is going on.” We were then escorted out of this baggage claim room and taken to a long narrow hallway. While we were being held in this area, an FBI agent announced the following to us 253 passengers “We have those (Plural) we believe are responsible for this in custody we will now be doing interviews with each of you and then you are free to go.” He went on to state two further references to more than one person, which I cannot specifically quote. I have repeated this exact story hundreds of times since flight 253.

The “official” story regarding the man in orange has now changed numerous times.

Version 1: This was the official story from 12-25-09 to 12-30-09. This version was that only Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was involved or detained.

Version 2: After some of my fellow passengers supported my claim in media accounts, this version 2 was released and became the official story on December 30, 2009.. This version was that, yes, another man was taken into custody, but he was being held indefinitely on “immigration charges”.

Version 3: This version came out late in the day on December 30, 2009. This version provided that yes another man was taken into custody, but he was from another flight. This story was the most ridiculous version to date and made myself write the current article on Mlive.com.

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2009/12/flight_253_passenger_kurt_hask.html

Let me explain.

Ever since the passengers of flight 253 got off of the plane, we were “quarantined”. By this I mean that nobody was allowed on our floor of the terminal or anywhere near any of us passengers. As a matter of fact, we never saw anyone except law enforcement personnel the entire time we were held by customs (6 hours). To say that the man that was being held was from another flight, and is the same one I saw 20 feet away from me the entire time, defies logic. We were in such tight security that we were not able to drink, eat, use our phones, or go to the bathroom by ourselves (without a law enforcement officer). However, this version tries to make the American public believe that passengers from other flights were by us commingling the entire time. This did not happen. To think that law enforcement would let anyone else near the passengers and crime scene of the biggest terrorist attack in 8 years is simply beyond comprehension. Further, every plane that landed for quite some time after we did, held its passengers on board for a long time. The man in orange was taken away one hour into our detention period (during which, I do not believe any other flights allowed their passengers to get off of). Most certainly however, no other passengers were on the baggage claim floor that we were. When I wrote the above Mlive article I predicted that I would soon see version 4 of the “official story”. I was overwhelmed to find not only a fourth version, but a fifth version.

Version 4: Shortly after 6PM eastern time on December 31, 2009, Ron Smith of U.S. Customs sent an email to various reporters across the country. I received my copy from a reporter that I have been corresponding with. Here is a copy of the email:

All,



Good Evening,



Thank you for your patience and accuracy in reporting the events of December 25 at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Everything we have talked about has been accurate concerning these events



That being said I have just received a piece of information that I did not previously have and hope it will clear up this matter.



As I have explained, there were no other passengers from flight 253 arrested or detained. The eyewitness accounts coincided with a separate issue concerning a passenger from a separate flight arriving at the airport. That passenger was escorted from the arriving plane to the CBP area. He was handcuffed at that time and could have been observed by the passengers from flight 253.



This still remains true; however, I now know that a passenger from flight 253 did have a canine alert to his carry on baggage in the baggage area of the CBP facility. He was placed in handcuffs and escorted to an interview room where he was interviewed and searched. There was nothing found during that search. Following the negative search results he received an explanation of why he was searched. He thanked the officers for doing their job and departed the facility along with the other passengers from flight 253.



I can not provide any other information about the individual because again, he was not arrested or detained and we have to protect his privacy.



This information is consistent with the eyewitness accounts.



I accept full responsibility for this information not being made available to you. I did not access the correct report that contained this information. I take pride in providing my media contacts complete, accurate information and I did not accomplish that this time. Please accept my apologies for any difficulties this may create.



I am sending this as an email because I will be traveling this evening and will not be available by phone until first thing in the morning.



Respectfully,



Ronald G Smith

Chief CBP Officer

Public Affairs Liaison

US Customs and Border Protection

Office of Field Operations

Mr. Ron Smith now claims the following:

1. “He just received some information he didn’t previously have”. Seriously.
2. “The eyewitness accounts coincided with a separate issue concerning a passenger from a separate flight arriving at the airport”. Please see above where I explain that we were “quarantined” which makes this statement impossible.
3. “He now knows (as if he didn’t before), that a passenger from flight 253 did have a canine alert to his carry on baggage in the baggage area of the CBP facility. . . There was nothing found during the search”.
First of all, does it seem plausible that Mr. Ron Smith didn’t have and know all of this information before? Also, please see my account of events above, where I explain that the man in orange was taken away not in handcuffs, but was HANDCUFFED AFTER HE WAS QUESTIONED/SEARCHED FOR AN HOUR! Remember, we were then moved to a new “safe” area at this time and damning comments were made by a law enforcement officer(see above).
4. “This information is consistent with eyewitness accounts”. Not mine Mr. Smith.
5. “He accepts full responsibility because he did not access the correct report that contained this information.” Mr. Smith, are you sloppy and incompetent or something else? This is the most important story in 8 years and a spokesperson for U.S. Customs just cannot come out in public and make an incorrect statement of this magnitude.
6. “Please accept my apologies . . . “ Where is my apology Mr. Smith? Oh wait, I don’t get one because the purpose of this bogus story was to discredit me…………….

Version 5: I was pretty shocked to see version 5 come out this morning in The Detroit News. It seems that Mr. Smith works really hard at this. Of course it would be much easier to just put out one correct story.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100101/NATION/1010354/1020/rss09

This is my second favorite version besides version 3. Now Mr. Smith claims the following:

1. “My account is a composite of two events at the airport around the time passengers got off flight 253. Both events were unrelated to the suspected terrorist incident.” One of these events involved a passenger from flight 249. Come on Mr. Smith, we both know that our flight was completely “quarantined”. Please see above for a further explanation.

2. “A sniffer dog reacted to agriculture or food products inside the bag of a third man who was off yet another flight”. OK, passengers from other flights DID NOT COMINGLE WITH OUR FLIGHT!

Funnier yet, Mr. Smith is proposing that a dog sniffing for food from another flight was the same as the dog sniffing for a bomb in the carry on bag carried by the orange dressed man on flight 253, who stood 20 feet away from me the entire time until he was taken away. Oh boy is that ever a stretch.

3. “Officials did attempt to segregate flight 253 passengers but the entire baggage area was not cleared”.

Think about this one for a minute. You have the biggest crime scene in 8 years. You don’t know if there are further bombs. Federal law enforcement is involved. You don’t know if there are accomplices. You need to find evidence Yet Mr. Smith proposes that law enforcement was unable to segregate the passengers of Flight 253 and let others trample through our “quarantine area”. Mr. Smith you should become a comedian.


Please answer a few questions for me Mr. Smith before I accept the apology you have yet to give to the passengers of flight 253:

1. Why were the passengers of flight 253 detained on a plane for 20 minutes not knowing if there was another bomb on the plane, in the cargo hold, or on another passenger after the “terrorist” had admitted that he had an explosive device in his pocket to a flight attendant, tried to detonate it, and set our plane on fire? Was it gross incompetence or something else?

2. Why were the passengers of flight 253 taken WITH their carry on bags and held with them for one hour before bomb sniffing dogs arrived in the baggage claim area of the terminal, all the while not knowing if any of the bags contained a bomb? Was it gross incompetence or something else? Did law enforcement intentionally risk the ENITRE AIRPORT TERMINAL TO AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE or was it something else?

3. Why did you indicate to a well respected reporter that our carry on bags were searched ON THE PLANE, when in fact they were never searched (except for sniffer dogs), until she told you that my wife and I adamantly disputed your claim? Then you suddenly changed the official position to, yes, the carry on bags were not searched? (This was relayed to me in confidence)

Mr. Smith, I think if you honestly answer the few questions above, we will have our answer as to why the “official” position regarding the man in orange has changed 5 times. I suspect that all of the above is tied in together. Draw your own conclusion.

By the way, I look forward to version six of the official story.

I am not going away.

---A concerned American and a victim on multiple fronts, Kurt Haskell