NEWS: Alert Issued for Flight School Student

The FBI issued an alert Thursday night for a man who took flight school lessons at the same airport as some of the 9/11 hijackers while living in the USA illegally. The man apparently fled to the U.K. after becoming aware of the alert. The man has no visible source of income and had exhibited bizarre behavior at the flight school before fleeing the country.



The FBI was able to issue this alert due to the dilligent reporting of the flight school staff. The alertness of flight school instructors and staff has risen since the 9/11 attacks, especially at this particular school, which at least one of the 9/11 highjackers attended.

While it may be hard to believe that an event similar to 9/11 could take place again, it is more than possible if we allow time to fade our memories and weaken our vigilant attitudes. The possibility for a takeover or mutiny will always exist wherever masses of people are packed together in an inescapable vessel, and it takes awareness to pre-empt potential hijackers.

Related News Links:
www.cnn.com
news.bbc.co.uk
www.thisislondon.co.uk



[edit on 8-4-2005 by Zipdot]

[edit on 9-4-2005 by John bull 1]

[edit on 10-4-2005 by John bull 1]

There are definitely some bizarre elements to this alert:

www.11alive.com...
The terrorism task force says they were alerted when someone reported he was trying to upgrade his pilot rating when he was not yet qualified yet. He reportedly became aggressive and tried to have the flight school accelerate his training schedule.

Managers at the flight school, however, knew nothing of his reported aggression and said they were surprised at the alert.

They say he was already a pilot and was trying to get his rating for multiple engine planes, commercial grade, and an instrument rating for multi-engine planes.

But then,

www.11alive.com...
In the alert bulletin, agents say Hajaig had no known means of income and that he possibly fled the country when he was alerted to the task force’s interest in him.

This is definitely strange behaviour for a professional pilot. Moreover, flight lessons aren't cheap. Truly, these are questionable circumstances indeed.

[edit on 8-4-2005 by Zipdot]

Here is a picture of this "person of interest:"

They will catch him. It will be interesting to see what his excuse will be.

ABC News is reporting that he is now in Britan, and British police are aware of his whereabouts.

abcnews.go.com
Earlier this year when he learned of the federal investigation, Hajaig abruptly left the country. British police know where he is but have not arrested him.

"We don't know if he's a terrorist or not," said former FBI counterterrorism chief Harry Brandon. "But he's absolutely picture-perfect in a profile, and a profile that would cause intense investigative effort. There's no question about that."

Despite supposedly higher scrutiny of foreign nationals after the 9/11 attacks, Hajaig was able to enroll in flight school in 2002. The government did not require background checks for foreign nationals enrolling in flight schools until October 2004.

Another concern is how Hajaig was able to sneak out of the country after he became the subject of a terrorism investigation.

Law enforcement officials had no comment.

how do these people get access to flight schooling? why doesnt anyone do a simple check or something?

It seems to me more could have and should have been done sooner with this one, from the info that is hear. I just hope his where abouts are indeed known.

He has now been arrested.

www.timesonline.co.uk...

A BRITON who trained as a pilot at the same American flight school as two of the September 11 hijackers has been arrested after an international terror alert issued by the FBI.

Originally posted by Zipdot
He has now been arrested.

www.timesonline.co.uk...

A BRITON who trained as a pilot at the same American flight school as two of the September 11 hijackers has been arrested after an international terror alert issued by the FBI.

Good Catch Zip Thanks for posting this too.

Times like this lead me to believe we are honestly not interested in catching people of interest. If we knew his location why on earth did we put out an alert instead of quietly picking him up at school? Maybe it is the lack of caffeine in my system at this point but WTF. This isn't the first time I have heard stories about people of interest getting away. Imagine calling the police because of a large amount of drug dealing going on at the house next door to you. Imagine the watching on the 11pm news that the police will be conducting a raid on your neighbors house tomorrow. Do you really think the drugs will be left in the house?

Apparently the man fled once he learned that investigators were taking interest in him. He was long gone before the actual alert and "no fly list" placement. Still, I agree that "persons of interest" should be interviewed as soon as they are labeled as such. Perhaps the FBI wanted to observe his movements and allowed the tipoff to take place just to see what he would do as a result - it wouldn't be the first time an investigation has proceeded in such a way.

Zip