Qatari diplomat's stupidity causes security scare on Washington - Denver flight

[Al-khiyal]

Officials: Diplomat tried to ignite shoes on flight

SEATTLE, April 7, 2010 -- Federal air marshals have subdued a man who tried to light his shoes on fire aboard a United Airlines flight from Washington, D.C. to Denver on Wednesday night, officials told ABC News. Officials said Mohammed al Modadi, a diplomat in the Qatar Embassy, attempted to detonate what they believe is a shoe bomb aboard Flight 663 some 40 miles from Denver. The man was subdued by on-board air marshals, and two jet fighters were scrambled from Buckley Air Force Base to accompany the Boeing 757 jet, which landed without incident in Denver. There are no reports of injuries. Al Modadi had full diplomatic immunity as the third secretary and vice-consul, the FBI told ABC News.

[Al-khiyal]

Qatari diplomat tried to light shoe bomb on U.S. jet: reports

April 8, 2010 -- U.S. federal air marshals subdued a Qatari diplomat who tried to detonate a shoe bomb aboard a flight from Washington to Denver late Wednesday, U.S. media reported. Authorities have identified the passenger as Mohammed al-Modadi, who has full diplomatic immunity as the third secretary and vice-consul of the Qatari embassy in Washington, ABC News reported. Officials said United Airlines flight 663 carrying 157 passengers and six crewmembers from Washington's Reagan National airport landed safely in Denver following the disturbance, the NBC network reported.

[Al-khiyal]

[Al-khiyal]

FBI investigating possible 'shoe bomb' attempt

NEW YORK, April 7, 2010 (AP) ― Federal officials say the FBI is probing whether a man tried to ignite his shoes on a DC to Denver flight. An official says an air marshal on the flight apparently restrained the man. Transportation Security Administration Kristin Lee says he is being interviewed by law enforcement in Denver.Two officials say the man is a Qatari diplomat who has been in the United States for years. Unlike the Christmas Day bomb attempt on an Detroit-bound airliner, officials say it is not immediately clear what the man was trying to do - something harmful like start a fire or explosion, or something as innocent as smoke a cigarette. Officials insisted Wednesday night it was still too early to tell whether the incident was an attempted act of terrorism or a giant misunderstanding.

[Al-khiyal]

Qatari diplomat taken into custody on DC-Denver flight

April 7, 2010 -- United Flight 663, a flight from Reagan Airport in DC to Denver, landed safely at the Denver Airport last night with F-16 accompaniment, and a man who allegedly told an air marshal he was trying to set his shoes on fire was taken into custody. ABC News makes this sound like the man, a Qatari diplomat, actually did try to light the shoes on fire, but NBC News described the scene this way: the man, Mohammed al-Modadi, the 3rd secretary and vice-consul, was in the bathroom for a long time, and when he left the bathroom as the plane began its descent, an air marshal approached him, saying he smelled smoke. The marshal asked al-Modadi what he was doing in the bathroom for so long, and he answered “I’m trying to set my shoes on fire,” which could just as easily have been a bad joke or an angry retort as an admission of guilt. At that point, the air marshal took al-Modadi into custody and notified the pilot, who relayed the threat and got the F-16s scrambled. Since many are asking, diplomats are not exempt from TSA screening. No explosives have been confirmed in this incident, so everyone should take a deep breath

[Al-khiyal]

NBC: Passenger subdued aboard United jet

April 7, 2010 -- A passenger was subdued by a federal air marshal during an incident aboard an airliner flying from Washington to Denver on Wednesday night, sources told NBC News. The FBI was investigating whether the man, a Qatari diplomat, attempted to ignite something aboard the plane. United Flight 663, a Boeing 757 with 157 passengers and six crew members aboard, landed safely at Denver International Airport, airline and airport officials said. A half hour before landing, an air marshal smelled smoke and confronted a man emerging from a bathroom who claimed he was trying to set his shoes on fire, WNBC reported. It was uncertain if anything actually was on fire or if this was a joke, NBC reported. Investigators were looking to see what might be in the man's shoes, but sources told NBC that it appeared that there were no explosives. Sources told NBC News that the passenger who was subdued was a Qatari diplomat who would have full diplomatic immunity. After the pilot declared an emergency, military jets scrambled and escorted the jet into Denver, where the plane remains in a secure area, NBC affiliate WRC reported.

The incident follows an attempted bombing on Christmas Day by a Nigerian man who tried to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear on a flight to Detroit from Amsterdam. The suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was burned in the incident, which was foiled by passengers. The Christmas attempt led to mandatory screening of air travelers from 14 countries. Qatari is not among the 14. Last week, the United States announced new security measures to replace the mandatory screening. The 14 countries were those on the U.S. list of "state sponsors of terrorism" — Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria — as well as Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen. Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Nigeria — U.S. partners in the fight against al Qaida — were angered at being on the list.

[Al-khiyal]

اعتقال دبلوماسي قطري اشتبه باشعاله حذائه على متن طائرة امريكية

افادت تقارير اعلامية امريكية ان عناصر امن الطائرات في الولايات المتحدة اوقفت دبلوماسيا قطريا يعمل في السفارة القطرية في واشنطن كان "يحاول ان يضرم النار في حذاءه على متن طائرة تابعة لاسطول شركة يونايتد ايرلاينز متوجهة من واشنطن الى دنفر.

واشارت محطة "اي بي سي نيوز" الامريكية وموقعها على الانترنت نقلا عن مصادر امنية امريكية ان فريق خبراء في المتفجرات يتوجه الى المطار" الا انها "اضافت انه من غير المؤكد ان المشتبه به يحمل متفجرات".

وافادت الانباء انه علم بأن الدبلوماسي القطري المذكور هو محمد المدادي ونقل عن مكتب التحقيقات الفدرالي الامريكي (اف بي آي) انه يتمتع بحصانة دبلوماسية كاملة كونه السكريتير الثالث ونائب للقنصل القطري في واشنطن.

وقالت السلطات ان طائرتين حربيتين اقلعتا على وجه السرعة من قاعدة باكلي الجوية لمواكبة الرحلة 663 ليونايتد ايرلاينز التي يستقلها الدبلوماسي القطري وهي طائرة من نوع بوينغ 757.

وافادت المعلومات ان الطائرة كانت تطير الاميال الـ40 الاخيرة عندما واكبتها الطائرات الحربية حتى بينما كانت تهبط بسلام في مطار دنفر.

محاولة تدخين؟

وفور هبوطها توجهت الطائرة الى مكان ما لم يكشف عنه داخل مطار دنفر.

وقالت كريستين لي الناطقة باسم ادارة امن النقل في الولايات المتحدة ان "رجال الامن في مطار دنفر يستجوبون المشتبه به".

الا ان وكالة الاسوشيتد برس نقلت عن مسؤولين رسمييت امريكيين قولهم انه "لم يتضح حتى الآن ما اذا كان هذا الشخص يحاول القيام بعمل بريء كاشعال سيجارة او اذا كان ينوي القيام بعمل مؤذ كاشعال حريق او تفجير الطائرة".