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ABC News: Attempted Shoe Bombing UA 663 DCA-DEN/Qatar Diplomat Merged Threads

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ABC News: Attempted Shoe Bombing UA 663 DCA-DEN/Qatar Diplomat Merged Threads

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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:06 pm
  #1  
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ABC News: Attempted Shoe Bombing UA 663 DCA-DEN/Qatar Diplomat Merged Threads

ABC News Radio just reported the following information:

Air marshals subdued a man who attempted to light his shoes on fire on UA 663 DCA-DEN (757-200) as it approached DEN. The man is identified as a diplomat from the Embassy of Qatar with the title of 3rd Secretary and Vice Consul. Fighter jets were scrambled from Buckley AFB. The a/c was directed to a remote location at DEN. DEN FBI declined comment.

That's all I heard on the special report.
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:08 pm
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Originally Posted by mizzou65201
ABC News Radio just reported the following information:

Air marshals subdued a man who attempted to light his shoes on fire on UA 663 DCA-DEN (757-200) as it approached DEN. The man is identified as a diplomat from the Embassy of Qatar with the title of 3rd Secretary and Vice Consul. Fighter jets were scrambled from Buckley AFB. The a/c was directed to a remote location at DEN. DEN FBI declined comment.

That's all I heard on the special report.
Nonstop flight from a foreign country? I've a solution. Barefoot travel. Hand out booties.
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:11 pm
  #3  
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From the ABC news story online:

"Authorities say an explosive team is on the way to the airport, and that while the presence of explosives has not yet been confirmed, they believe it was an attempted "shoe bomb."
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:21 pm
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Originally Posted by LuvAirFrance
Nonstop flight from a foreign country? I've a solution. Barefoot travel. Hand out booties.
You know DCA is Washington/Reagan Airport, right?

NOT looking forward to the knee-jerk reaction on this one.
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:23 pm
  #5  
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ABC News: Air Marshals Stop 'Shoe Bomb' Attempt On United Jet to Denver

Federal air marshals subdued a man who authorities say attempted to "light his shoes on fire" on a United flight from Washington Reagan to Denver Wednesday night, federal law enforcement officials told ABC News.

Authorities say an explosive team is on the way to the airport, and that while the presence of explosives has not yet been confirmed, they believe it was an attempted "shoe bomb."

The suspect was identified by authorities as a diplomat in the Qatar embassy in Washington, Mohammed al Modadi. The FBI said the man had full diplomat immunity as the 3rd secretary and vice-consul.

Authorities said two jet fighters were scrambled from Buckley Air Force Base to accompany United flight 663, a Boeing 757, as it flew the final 40 miles to Denver where it landed safely.

Authorities said the man, identified as from Qatar, was restrained by the air marshals who were on the flight.

The United jet was reportedly being directed to a remote location at the Denver airport.

A spokesman for the FBI in Denver declined to comment.
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:25 pm
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hmm. I wonder if Air Marshals were on the flight because of the diplomat... Never the less, interesting to hear what happened..
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:29 pm
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Domestic flight.

If there was an explosive in the shoe, there are going to be a lot of people wanting to know how and why it got on board.
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:30 pm
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Uh oh, does that mean I can't pee again?

Cringes
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:31 pm
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Well, I've heard some places aren't requiring shoes off? Plus, "enhanced intelligence" might not predict a diplomat with explosives. Like they said, its a constant probing process. Looking for a place they can slip it to us.
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:31 pm
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I would bet with full diplomatic immunity as is being reported he probably got a VIP escort past security and nobody even glanced at the screen when his shoes (if he even had to take them off) went through.
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:31 pm
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I have a hard time envisioning Qatar really trying to assert diplomatic immunity for someone attempting mass murder.
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:31 pm
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Anyone know *for sure* whether 'full diplomatic immunity' includes a free pass at the checkpoint?
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:31 pm
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Originally Posted by LessO2
Domestic flight.

If there was an explosive in the shoe, there are going to be a lot of people wanting to know how and why it got on board.
Diplomatic immunity. If that leaked document is still valid, the person wouldn't have been screened.

Foreign dignitaries equivalent to cabinet rank and above, accompanying a spouse, their children under the age of 12, and a State Department escort are exempt from screening.
Read More http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/200...#ixzz0kTKiWUon
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:32 pm
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according to NBC news, it might be a bad joke. The person responded "I am trying to set my shoes on fire" when asked why he had spent so much time in the bathroom.

If he is a diplomat how long before he "expelled for activities inconsistent with his status"
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Old Apr 7, 2010, 8:33 pm
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Details are certainly in short supply so far but I'm wondering if this person, being a diplomat, was one of those who are able to skip security screening.

If the person was screened then how did the xray operator miss a loaded shoe since that is the claim behind all shoes having to be xrayed or screened by other means.

Either way it seems a security failure from the information available right now.
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