"Even so, by the end of last week the reasons the Saudi brothers gave for their trip to Mexico appeared to be holding up"

Doesn't Newsweak just frost your balls? If their reason for going to Mexico is 100% legit that should not have changed the course of action the DHS took and to mention it in this article makes it look like the MSM tactic of temporing everybit of good news with an 'Abu Ghraib'. Asshats.

"Why were you travelling to Mexico, Sayeed?"

"To obtain Pure Discount Viagro!"

"Yeah, that checks out."

It's safe to assume the Dutch just let the Saudis go, right?

BrewFan is right. I don't care why they were flying through our airspace. Mr. Wu has a word for these situations...

That really frosts my fanny! About 20+ years ago, on a flight change in Amsterdam, the fricking Dutch security actually opened (yes, they split open the seams) on some stuffed animals I carried with me on the flight.

I guess young blonde girls carrying stuffed animals were a major security threat in those days.

Yet, after 9/11, Saudi terror suspects heading to North America pass right on through on the Dutch National Airline??!!! Too much mooncake being served over in KLM security imho.

What a bunch of morons.

I suppose exterminating Saudi life with neutron bombs would be a bit much, but am I the only one who finds it a temptation?

Why not, it won't affect the oil. Might up the cost slightly, but in this market who'd notice?

I figure they'll be at each other's throats soon enough.
Serves 'em right for all the shit they've started over the years. Poetic justice.

Actually poetic justice will be when the Jews build a synagogue in Mecca. Heh.

Well , being from the Netherlands, I just like to point out that the regulation in this case simply was inadequate. It needs fixing.

KLM has the obligation to screen all passenger heading for the USA demanded by immigration service. They, however, have never been required by USA government to check all passenger across USA AIRSPACE. Agreed, they could have done it. But point your fingers to your own legislation as well for missing out on this one, please. Modesty makes the world tick faster.

As why people who've been labelled terror suspects still can board in the Netherlands, completely baffles me.

Who were they flying to meet is what I'd like to know. Is there a big expatriot Saudi community in Mexico? I doubt it.

To come right to the point, if there's a terror cell in Mexico City, we'd better be doing something about it. Hijacking a plane from Mexico while it's in US airspace is a pretty realistic plan for Al Qaeda to pursue; so I'm bothered that these "pilots" were merely turned back. They ought to be interrogated at the very least.

As for those people who think "oh, you can't do that"---well, keep that thought in mind, because it's exactly that type of thinking that led to 9/11. We had dozens of opportunities to stop it, but every time some bureaucratic oversight or legal nicety got in the way.

So keep that thought in mind. Because the next time it'll occur to you will be when a grainy passport photo appears next to a building in ruins and you think: "Hey--I remember that guy!"

Well if it isn't the rule, the rule should be that any flight that is going to go over US airspace must send a passenger list and hello, shouldn't that be sent before the plane leaves Amsterdam?

Do all airlines have access to the US's terror list or don't fly list - shouldn't each country have that list in their computers and then it should also be reciprocal, I am sure the Netherlands et al have their own list of terrorists and undesirables so if all airlines have the list of all the troublemakers because what would stop these guys from hijacking a plane in European airspace?

Cancon:

Don't know whether this will be read, but these are the facts.

The TSA (Transporation Security Administrations) has decreed the No Fly List for the USA and provides this list to all international air companies. It is the duty of the airlines to check their passengers with this list IF the flight has a destination to the USA. Nothing has been made explicitly clear about the USA airspace or a destination of the neighbouring countires. This was a new precedent and made clear the regulations had a hole in them.

Again, why it has not become standard for airlines to check the American No Fly List for ANY flight to ANY destination strikes me as foolish.

CIA Officer: And the reason for your trip?

Saudi Terror Suspect(STS): Um, vacation in Cancun?

CIA: Not likely! (Applies cattle prod)

STS: Aarrrgghh! Alright, the truth. I was planning to illegally cross the U.S. border with other Mexican immigrants.

CIA: Oh, then that's legitimate. Sorry about the torture thing. No hard feelings.