Posted on 04/10/2004 4:39:59 AM PDT by JesseHousman
An international incident is touched off when Miami airport screeners insist on examining the luggage of the successor to the Spanish throne and his entourage.
Crown Prince Felipe of Spain and his fiancée pitched a royal fit at Miami International Airport Thursday night, when screeners insisted on searching the future king's luggage -- just as they would any Average Joe's.
Members of the prince's entourage called the required inspection of their private belongings an ''insult'' and ''humiliating'' -- sparking a diplomatic flap that has the United States and Spain on the brink of a protocol war.
Crowning it off, Iberia Airlines, the prince's carrier of choice, is suggesting it might pull out of the airport, according to two sources close to the international incident.
Now, Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas has sent the Prince of Asturias, next in line for the throne, an apology, saying he's asked for an investigation into what went wrong.
Thursday's diplomatic dust-up occurred when the tall, blue-eyed, 36-year-old Prince Felipe de Borbón and his beautiful bride-to-be, Letizia Ortiz, 31, a well-known TV newscaster, flew into MIA to catch a connecting flight home.
The couple and four bodyguards landed at MIA around 5 p.m. on a private chartered jet from Nassau. They were booked on a 6 p.m. Iberia Airlines flight to Madrid.
Whether the prince gave U.S. diplomatic officials enough notice of his arrival is at the heart of the problem.
The U.S. State Department requires 72 hours notice to arrange for expedited security screening in a private area. The prince's people called with six hours notice.
When members of the royal party were told that they and their carry-ons would have to be searched -- just like the masses -- the royal flap erupted.
''We're your allies!'' one member of the royal delegation shouted in Spanish to inspectors at a particularly tense moment.
But according to Lauren Stover, spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration in Miami, the screeners were only doing their jobs. The mandates of the Department of Homeland Security following Sept. 11 require that all commercial airline passengers be screened -- even the princely ones.
''The prince and his bodyguard felt they should not be subjected to the screening, but if they do not have an escort from the State Department or the Secret Service, it is required,'' Stover said. ``It's the law.''
To accommodate blue-blooded sensibilities, the TSA gave the group a choice of a quick public screening or a slower but private one away from commoners. The royal entourage chose a private screening and the group was taken to an American Airlines' lounge.
Stover said three ''top-notch screeners with VIP experience'' and two supervisors rushed to the lounge to conduct the search.
The need by the princess-to-be to go the powder room caused another flare-up. Ortiz was told her already-searched purse would be searched again on her return from the nonsecure area. She decided to hold it.
That sparked more angry words and exchanges, delaying the process and making the entire royal party late for the flight, which waited.
At one point, Milton Oribe, Iberia's station manager, said he would ignore the required screening, come what may, witnesses said.
Oribe also offered to vouch for the prince and his entourage, adding that he would see to it that the Spanish carrier withdrew from MIA, according to witnesses on the scene.
Mayor Penelas, calling the brouhaha a ''lamentable situation,'' immediately sent a letter of apology to the the royal family and pointed out those doing the screening were federal employees.
''The facts I have received thus far indicate an apparent disregard for protocol and disrespect of His Highness and his delegation. . . . I have called upon our County Manager to conduct a complete investigation into this matter,'' Penelas wrote in a letter dated Thursday.
An official of the Spanish Consulate in Miami said Friday that it will be up to Consul General Javier Vallaure to decide whether a complaint will be sent to the U.S. State Department.
''We don't consider this the proper way to treat our future king; it's a breach of protocol,'' said the consular official, who would not give his name.
Said Stover: ``Had anything happened on that flight to the prince or anyone on that aircraft because we decided to relax our screening processes, that would have been catastrophic and a complete failure on our part.''
You are absolutely right and I am sure that his father, Juan Carlos, would have handled it differently.
In the history of the Spanish monarchy, both Hapsburg and Bourbon, as in the history of all royal houses, can be found outstanding monarchs followed by horrible offspring. The good monarchs tended to be those who "suffered" humbling circumstances or other crisis during their youths and had to overcome such things. The bad monarchs tended to be those arrogant spoiled brats who were handed everything on a gold platter.
In the modern era, an arrogant King will soon become a deposed King.
For the sake of his humility, it would serve the Prince of Asturias well to read again the old oath recited to his royal ancestors by their Aragonese subjects:
"We who are as good as you swear to you who are no better than we to accept you as our king and sovereign lord, provided you observe our liberties, but if not, not."
WRONGO. I do NOT want these dolts with badges exercising their personal judgement based on their "intelligence." There should be rules that the inevitable dolts they hire can follow. Period.
For when Muhammad Atta's nephew becomes a screener someday, I don't want him "exercising intelligent judgement" of which of his Islamist brethren should or should not be searched.
Aha. You didn't read my previous post wherein I stated that we need to profile passengers!
If we'd used this "sophisticated" method, Spinach, all hijackers would be left behind.
That's right. And Bill Clinton dropped his pants and shorts for a female airport screener last week and she hadn't even asked him too. ;-)
He doesn't have Diplomatic Immunity in his own country either..
OH! WAIT! YES HE DOES!...
Article 1, Section 6, Para. 1, the Constitution of the United States...
" Section 6. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the United States.
They shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place. No Senator or Representative shall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time: and no person holding any office under the United States, shall be a member of either House during his continuance in office. "
Maybe we should AMEND THE CONSTITUTION to insure equal treatment for all?
How about "From Each according to his ability to each according to their needs"?
That would be Really Fair and Equal.. Wouldn't it?
Sure, the Congressman didn't make any "Fuss" about having to go through that search, although he probably could have..
Maybe it's because He Voted For Those Measures and Regulations???
Maybe, as a consumate politician, he gained more "positive" publicity by showing himself as compliant with the new air travel regulations?
And, presented himself as a "role model" to the american public?? Just "one of the guys", so to speak?
That way, the SHEEP won't complain as much.....
Har Har!!
Yes that always works best with Americans who like to feel like they're on first name basis with their presidents. You know --- Gerry, Jimmie, Ron, George, Bill.... We're not used to royal reactions --- but if they come here they need to realize we don't even know who they are and we're not used to bowing and curtsying.
Not only the king.
I haven't run across one yet who wasn't polite and professional, but then I am polite and professional toward them.
I would submit that there are far more passengers who are jerks than TSA folks who are jerks.
Let me guess. Joe Kennedy. And you're posting from the manse in Palm Beach. Didn't you make a similar statement when you got into a drag racing altercation with an 18 year old kid in Watertown a few years ago? Didn't your cousin say something similar in an airport somewhere? Well you'd be surprised at what *I* know about this family! And paragon is not the first word that comes to mind.
An excellent summary. This paper prince knows full well what the rules are. If his assistants are too stupid or incompetent to do things properly, he should do some introspection.
He's behaving exactly the way one would expect middle east sandmaggots to behave. Daddy should have a talk with this "prince".
The post says "ENDANGERS", and not your purported "Blame".
And then you posted a number of images...
The resultant message indicates Diplomatic Immunity bears responsibility for terrorism, and 9-11..
A proposition not even John F'n Kerry, Dick Clark nor Condoleeza Rice has put forth..
Go ahead, split hairs.
Maybe you can weave a nice hair shirt to express your sorrow...
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