Followup: Spotlight on AeroMexico Hijacking

As we said yesterday, the age of traditional hijacking in North America is gone. Aside from 9/11, which ushered in a new age of hijacking for the purpose of using a plane as a weapon, the traditional hijacking, which involved individuals taking over a plane and holding the passengers hostage for a political agenda, is almost dead, partly because of the post-9/11 directive not to cooperate with hijackers(overriding previous orders) and a securely locked cockpit door.

Which brings us to Jose Flores, a 44-year old Bolivian preacher with a history of drug abuse who got the word from the Supreme Deity that he had to warn people of an impending disaster ushered in by 9/9/9, or an upside-down 666. The pilot of Aeromexico Flight 576 radioed that he had a man who claimed to have a bomb and wanted to talk to President Calderon. Flores did not have a bomb. He, in fact, had a juice can.

The disturbed man kept passengers on the plane for more than an hour after landing in Mexico City, while reports flooded out of 3, then 5, then 7 people being involved. Other individuals were detained only because he had told a flight attendant he had three accomplices. Flores told police his three companions were “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” We wonder if they were flying in Premier or Tourist.

Ultimately, we are not sure if we are safer or less safe if a mentally ill man with a juice can and lights can cause this series of events.

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