On Wednesday the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Rageh Ahmed Mohammed Al-Murisi, 26, tried to break into the locked cockpit of a flight bound for San Francisco on Sunday night. 

The article reports:

“Al-Murisi walked quickly to the front of the plane while shouting, “Allahu akbar,” tried the cockpit door handle and then rammed the door with his shoulder, prompting a flight attendant to yell, “I need help – now!” witnesses said.

“Other flight attendants, retired San Mateo police Officer Larry Wright, a retired Secret Service agent, an off-duty American Airlines pilot, and Olympic shot put champion Bill Nieder jumped from their seats to help subdue him.

“Nieder, 77, of Angels Camp (Calaveras County), who won the gold medal in Rome in 1960, said, “My thought was he was trying to get into the pilots’ area. It happened so quick I didn’t have time to be scared.””

Mr. Al-Murisi obviously picked the wrong set of passengers to try to do harm to anyone on the plane.  Police Officer Wright stated that he believed that Mr. Al-Murisi was going to attempt to crash the plane.  Officer Wright also stated that after the twin towers fell, he swore to himself that he would never be a victim.

Homeland security is a good idea, but in the end it will be the people at the site of an attack that will make the difference.  The article points out that Mr. Al-Murisi carried no luggage.  I realize that it is not a crime to board a plane without luggage, but I wonder if he should have been looked at more closely when he boarded.  Again, it was the passengers who kept themselves safe.  Way to go!