Note: The following post is an exact quote:
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1523640/posts
Four Women Arrested Trying to Board Plane [Syria to Australia]
AP via TBO ^ | November 16, 2005
Posted on 11/16/2005 10:13:34 PM PST by ncountylee
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Four Australian women were arrested while trying to board a plane in Syria after a dismantled handgun was allegedly found inside a toy the women were carrying, officials and media reports said Thursday.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the four Australian women, who were not immediately identified, were with two Iraqi women and a child when they were detained at Damascus airport on Tuesday.
All six women were of Iraqi origin, the department said in a statement.
The Australian Broadcasting Corp. quoted an unidentified Syrian police source as saying the women were arrested after security officers found a dismantled handgun inside a toy the child was carrying.
The women were trying to board a Gulf Air flight bound for Australia via Bahrain.
"I understand that the pieces of weapon were in hand luggage, but there were bullets in the (aircraft's baggage) hold," Gulf Air spokesman David Baker said.
Syrian authorities were investigating whether the women might have been involved in a plot to hijack the plane, and police were questioning the women, the ABC reported.
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Note: The following text is an exact quote (and has a few more details):
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1522995/posts
Gun found in bag of Iraqi woman, plane flies safely
Kuna ^ | Nov 15 2005
Posted on 11/16/2005 4:05:35 AM PST by Dog
DAMASCUS, Nov 15 (KUNA) -- A Gulf Air passenger plane took off to Manama safely from Damascus International Airport on Tuesday after the flight was delayed due to location of a gun in a bag, a Bahraini diplomatic source said.
The source told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the flight was delayed after the Syrian authorities detained seven Iraqi women who tried to board the plane with a gun concealed in one of their bags.
Preliminary interrogations revealed that a man, who did not show up at the air facility, was expected to accompany them on the flight. The women and the suspicious male carried Australian passports.
The gun was laden into a toy in one of the bags of the women.
Earlier reports indicated at arrest of a man who tried to fly aboard the plane with the concealed gun. (end) am.
rk