Posted on 01/05/2004 1:55:29 PM PST by 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.
Then what are those fuses for?
But that's not what he said. Why did his story go like this:
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.
Heh. Where have we heard that one before? Artist crayons? WTH is that?
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