Posted on 12/07/2004 11:47:50 AM PST by LouAvul
PARIS (AP) - Somewhere in the world, there's a navy blue suitcase with a small pack of explosives tucked in its side pocket. Four days after police at Charles de Gaulle Airport slipped some plastic explosives into a random passenger's bag as part of an exercise for sniffer dogs, it is still missing - and authorities are stumped and embarrassed.
Police have sought to minimize public concern by insisting there's nothing to worry about: the explosives had no detonator and are unlikely to pose a danger.
But that does little to diminish the fact that the French airport security has been planting explosives in the suitcases of unsuspecting passengers - all in the name of safety.
"That's pretty scary," said Chadi Kawkabani, an American tourist wheeling his suitcase along the Champs-Elysees on Tuesday before heading to the airport.
"I picture myself opening my bag at home," said Kawkabani, a marketing director from Boston. "You might think terrorists planted the explosive - and they could come to your house to get it back!"
"Imagine getting caught at your arrival," said Laurence Grassiet, a 32-year-old Parisian hair stylist. "You'd be in for a hard time!"
Authorities believe the suitcase left Paris between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday and could have wound up on any of about 100 flights.
"There were flights that went to the United States, to Japan, South America," said police spokesman Pierre Bouquin. "Basically, it could have gone anywhere - to the four corners of the world."
Authorities at airports in New York and Los Angeles launched a fruitless search for the suitcase after French aviation officials issued a global alert to be on the lookout for the bag.
(Excerpt) Read more at modbee.com ...
One has to wonder if the TSA would accept this explanation for a "small quantity of platic explosive" in a passenger's luggage?
French...Bungle
Nuf said.
You'd think with them noses, the Frogs wouldn't need sniffer dogs.
It appears that the renowned Inspector Cleuseau is still in charge!! :o)
France : The gift that keeps on giving!!! LOL
Well, I'm glad it wasn't a Bio-Chem weapons test.
Somewhere in South America a tourist is sitting in some hell-hole prison, incomunicato, without the foggiest idea of why he was arrested at the airport.
I just hope he is french.
AAAHHH, the glory that was france.
(Use Cleuseau accent)
Excuse me, but do you have a bomb?
A bum? Everybody has a bum! What kind of question is that?
No,no, a BOMB. That blows up.
Well mine only blows up when I eat chili. And I haven't had any.
We do not know if it was going to Chile. Now cooperate with us or you will be detained.
I do not want to take the train! Now leave me alone or I will need to speak with your superior.
Do you 'really' believe that?
/sarcasm
No one country has the single prize of idiocy.
I've flown through De Gaulle airport several times. I'm going to double-check my luggage later this evening to see if the French deposited any surprise gift. I was expecting a bottle of wine, not an exploding mine
My thoughts exactly! Whoever was "lucky" enough to be an unwitting part of this exercise would then be in posession of luggage that would fail any future electronic detection equipment.
Don't forget that the FBI claimed that the bomb residue found on some seats of TWA800 was from a bomb sniffing dog exercise two weeks prior. (Waiting for the TWA800 conspiracy theorists to ring in...)
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