Posted on 08/18/2006 6:42:54 AM PDT by Kieri
Suspicious liquid found in former Mich. woman's luggage 8/18/2006, 6:13 a.m. ET By SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER The Associated Press
CEREDO, W.Va. (AP) — A woman whose daughter's carry-on luggage caused a West Virginia airport to shut down for 9 1/2 hours says it was her ethnic background, not a few bottles of suspicious liquids, that set off security officials.
Initial laboratory testing by the FBI turned up no evidence of explosive materials in the bottles carried at Tri-State Airport by Rima Qayyum, a 28-year-old Pakistani woman dressed in the traditional Islamic headcover.
No charges were filed against the woman, who was never detained and was cooperative when interviewed by the FBI.
Qayyum's mother, Mian Qayyum of Jackson, Mich., told The Associated Press that her daughter is four months pregnant, lives in Barboursville and is innocent. Her daughter had moved to West Virginia from Jackson.
"It was not only a false alarm, it was racial discrimination because there was nothing," Mian Qayyum said. "They should clear her name and apologize on national TV."
The FBI did not return messages Thursday night seeking comment on the allegations.
A screener noticed a bottle in Rima Qayyum's carry-on bag as she was going through security before her 9:15 a.m. flight Thursday to Charlotte, N.C., airport authority president Jim Booton said.
The terminal was evacuated at 11:25 a.m. after two bottles of liquid in the bag initially tested positive for explosives residue twice, and a canine team also got a positive hit. Chemical tests of the bottles' contents later turned up no explosives, said Capt. Jack Chambers, head of the State Police Special Operations unit.
The woman had purchased a one-way ticket to Detroit by way of Charlotte on Wednesday. The flight eventually left for Charlotte without her.
Rima Qayyum planned to return to the airport Friday to take another flight, her mother said.
Rima Qayyum planned to return to the airport Friday to take another flight, her mother said. The airport resumed normal operations Friday morning.
"She just had water to drink because she is pregnant and she had a face wash that had a drop of bleach on it," Mian Qayyum said.
U.S. authorities banned the carrying of liquids onto flights last week after British officials made arrests in an alleged plot to blow up U.S.-bound planes using explosives disguised as drinks and other common products.
The TSA screening looks for a range of explosives residue, some of which can be found on common household items, said TSA spokesman Darrin Kayser.
"Anytime a prohibited item is brought to a checkpoint, then you are going to be immediately more interested in that bag," Kayser said.
Two airlines — Comair and US Airways Express — serve the airport. Commercial airline service was suspended, and about 100 passengers and airport employees were ordered to leave the terminal, Booton said.
After the evacuation, many passengers decided to stay and wait it out.
"We bought them pizza, soft drinks ... tried to make them comfortable as could be in this situation," said Larry Salyers, the airport's manager. "We had them in the parking lot, under trees, in conference rooms, the firehouse."
___
Associated Press writer Kelley Schoonover contributed to this report.
This first aid web site tells what happens when you "accidentally" mix bleach with ammonia.
http://firstaid.about.com/b/a/007169.htm
I wonder if the "sniffer dogs" are "down" with this??
that is what threw me...
I cannot imagine anyone putting bleach in their face wash... and even if they did- I SURELY cannot imagine doing this with the intent of using it to actually wash your face!
so- the water because she is pregnant and thirsty...
what exactly is the neeeeeeeed for a face wash on a plane? especially face wash with BLEACH?
Richard Jewel recently received an honorary commendation from Sonny Perdue, the GA of Georgia. He has been recognized for his courage and his heroism.
http://www.gov.state.ga.us/press/2006/press1221.shtml
"DENNIS: Well you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you! "
So, Mary Jo did in fact fight back before she drowned.
Really, who uses bleach on their face? I smell some kind of rat.
Going to Detroit through Charlotte.
Especially on a flight from NC to MI. What is that, like 4 hours? Unless stricken with a medical journal worthy case of OCD, most people can go 4 hours without having to wash thier face.
Planes are dirty, yes, but generally most people avoid sticking thier face directly on the seat or rolling around on the carpet.
Don't roll on the carpet. People pee on it, now.
LMAO!!
So Mom knew that the positive explosive hits were due to something placed on the outside of the bottles!
I wonder if it really was bleach, or if it was something else. Now the enemy knows an upper bound to detection capability- we put this amount on the bottle, and the wipe was positive. The x-ray picked it up: the density was 1.12 g/cm3.
I don't want them to tell me, because I don't need to know the limits of airport screening, what's detectable and what's not.
No, they let me through eventually though I *think* we were in a yellow state at the time. They practically took apart the laptop and I got the infamous bra-pat-down strip search though.
I'm all in favor of profiling. Muslims walk or swim.
This was a test probe by the enemy looking for holes in our security system. No apoligies to the rabid terrorist enabling Muslim bitch, and even tougher searches of those of all ages and sexes who fit the profile of the Islamic sonovabitches who resemble the profile of those who are out to murder us and destroy our way of life.
JUST DO IT!
Too much jawboning about it. All sane people realize it's the best way to minimize/prevent these disasters.
BTW, what happened to the two cell phone guys in Marietta, Ohio?
What the ? Barboursville !?!?!?
I lived there in the '70s and '80s -- graduated from Barboursville High School.
Since when do Moos live there? I predict WV will be targeted for invasion due to it's "lack of diversity". It sadly will be our next Maine and Minnesota. Probably enforced harshly by the DOJ.
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