News & Politics

Weird Coincidence: Airline Mechanic Accused of Sabotaging Plane Had ISIS Video on His Phone

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Every once in a while, a news story comes along that makes perfect sense. All the pieces fit, and it solves the puzzle. It reaffirms all the things you already knew, or thought you knew. Well, what you’re about to read definitely isn’t one of those stories.

Ellie Bufkin, Washington Examiner:

[American Airlines mechanic] Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani was accused earlier this month of inserting an object into the navigational system of [an] airplane that would tamper with airspeed readings…

Alani, who was reportedly seen on video tampering with the airplane, alleged that he was motivated to do so because he was dissatisfied with employment contracts and hoped the mechanical issue could translate to more overtime pay for himself.

Prosecutors in federal court on Wednesday, however, allege that Alani had downloaded an ISIS propaganda video to his cellphone, which he sent to other unnamed individuals.

Okay, now, that right there is what’s known in the news business as a coincidence. One thing doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the other. Yeah, this guy sabotaged a plane. And, also, in addition to but unrelated to that, he also had ISIS propaganda on his phone. Apples and oranges.

Oh, and Alani’s phone also had a news story about a plane crash in Indonesia last year, with specific information about the plane’s airspeed control system. The same thing he was caught tampering with.

But whatever. It seems much more likely that this guy tried to bring down an airliner so he could get more overtime. That sounds about right. Right?

Look, I’m not a racist, okay? I don’t assume that just because a guy named Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani has ISIS stuff on his phone and tries to sabotage a plane, somehow the two things are related. I’m a good person. I need this job. Please don’t #cancel me.