Saudi Man Charged for Firecrackers on U.S. Plane

Reuters ^

[Sub-Driver]

Saudi Man Charged for Firecrackers on U.S. Plane Mon January 5, 2004 04:07 PM ET

BOSTON (Reuters) - A Saudi man was charged on Monday for carrying firecrackers in carry-on luggage on a plane from Germany, to Boston amid U.S. warnings of a possible attack bigger than the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacked plane strikes, officials said. U.S. officials in Boston said in a statement that Essam Mohammed Almohandis, 33, of Riyadh had "three small firecracker-type explosive or incendiary devices" in his carry-on luggage on a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt on Saturday.

He told authorities at Boston's Logan International Airport that he was one a business trip and that the devices -- tubes about 1.5 inches long -- were artist crayons, U.S. attorney Michael Sullivan said.

Sullivan said Almohandis then said he did not know what they were or how they got in his backpack, which he told authorities was his only piece of luggage. He also told investigators his wife had packed his bag.

Almohandis had flown from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to Frankfurt and then on to Boston, where the firecrackers were found in a search of his luggage.

He was arrested amid an air security clampdown that has seen the cancellation in the past week of two British Airways flights bound for Washington, D.C., one of the targets of the Sept. 11 attacks. The British airline also halted its service to Saudi Arabia last week, but resumed it earlier on Monday.

The United States raised its security alert stance to high on Dec. 21 because intelligence reports raised fears of a possible attack that could be bigger than the Sept. 11 hijacked airliner strikes on America that killed nearly 3,000 people.

Almohandis was charged with carrying explosive or incendiary devices on an airplane, which is prohibited by federal law. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison for carrying the firecrackers on board a plane, up to 5 years on charges of making false statements and a fine of $250,000.

Almohandis was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday for a hearing during which a federal judge will determine if there is probable cause to further pursue the case and if Almohandis is to remain in federal custody.

[Sub-Driver]

crayons?

[Support Free Republic]

Got a minute?

I'd really like you to scratch my ears,
or help out FR.

[Dog]

I'm getting to damn cynical....he was testing the system....a scout if you will..

[snopercod]

Vindictive wife?

[theDentist]

"...He also told investigators his wife had packed his bag."

Legal Separation, Saudi-style.

[OldFriend]

Lots of testing going on........this is just one more instance.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Not too cynical as far as I'm concerned. Sounds like a test to me.

[Johnny_Cipher]

He also told investigators his wife had packed his bag.

At last, at least ONE occurrence of a situation where the "Did anyone other than yourself pack your bags?" question would have been applicable.

I think the feller was doing some testing. Nail him to the wall.

[Dog]

What is scary....really scary about this story.....they didn't find the "crayons" until he was searched entering the US.

[Mears]

Scary is right and he won't do any time or pay any fine either.

All this orange alert craziness and they found the stuff when the trip was over.

It's nuts!

[eastforker]

Found it during a customs search no doubt.I woder why it wasn't detected before he got on. I would have thought Lufthansa was better than that.

[Pro-Bush]

Another dress rehearsal from our Saudi friends.

[eastforker]

Then he says it is his only piece of luggage. That should have red flagged it right there. Who flies overseas with only a back pack for luggage.

[hoosiermama]

"If convicted, he could face up to 10 years"

Maybe his wife did pack them. Free for in ten years

[TaxPayer2000]

It would have done more for aircraft safty to shoot the man instead of asking him why and what and whatever, If he has stuff in his lugguge that he doesnt know about, TOO BAD, he still is the one responsible for it, and if indeed he had no clue of how it got there, he still put at risk all the other passengers on the plane,

[NonValueAdded]

Holy SHE BOMBER batman ... would a firecracker be enough to set off C4 / plastique?

[glock rocks]

were they indeed firecrackers?

"firecracker-type explosive or incendiary devices"

[Stallone]

Stop this Racial Profiling. Now!

Stop it!

The crayons were just that - crayons.

Just because he has a Muslim name, he was being discriminated against.

This is a pure outrage.

Bush HAS to go!