Posted on 01/03/2002 1:10:30 AM PST by kattracks
An Arab-American Secret Service agent assigned to protect President Bush has hired an attorney after being kicked off a commercial flight on Christmas Day, officials said yesterday.
The agent, whose name is being withheld for security reasons, was questioned about his identity before being barred from the American Airlines flight.
Civil rights attorney Christy Lopez of the Washington law firm Relman & Associates has taken the case, said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The council has filed a civil rights complaint alleging the pilot ordered the armed agent off the plane only because he was an Arab-American.
Bush said last week that he would be "madder than heck" if his bodyguard was booted from the flight because of his ethnicity.
The American-Islamic group announced yesterday that a passenger who was sitting next to the agent on American Airlines Flight 363 has come forward alleging the agent was "kicked off the plane because of his race."
Secret Service spokesman Jim Mackin declined to comment.
American Airlines claims the pilot ordered the agent off the flight to Dallas-Fort Worth because his paperwork contained "inconsistencies."
SECURITY RULES - CARRIAGE OF WEAPONS AND ESCORTED PERSONS
[snip]
Further, to meet regulatory requirements, an individual to be armed during flight must:
(1) Be authorized to have the weapon.
(2) Notify the certificate holder of the need to have the weapon accessible in connection with the performance of duty during the period from the time the individual would otherwise have checked it until the time it would have been returned to the individual after deplaning.
(3) Notify the certificate holder of the flight on which the individual intends to have a weapon at least one hour prior to flight departure; or in an emergency, as soon as practicable.
(4) Present identification to the certificate holder by displaying credentials that include a clear full face picture, the individual's signature, and the signature of an authorizing official or the official seal of the individual's agency.
[snip]
Procedures for Law Enforcement Officers (LEO's). For the purpose of this circular, LEO's are divided into two groups, Federal Law Enforcement Officers and other Law Enforcement Officials.
(1) Procedures for Federal Law Enforcement Officers. Each Federal law enforcement agency that anticipates a need for an authorized employee of that agency to carry a deadly or dangerous weapon in the cabin compartment of a certificate holder's airplane should submit to the FAA, Office of Civil Aviation Security, ATTN: Air Operations Security Division, ACS-100, a copy of their policy under which employees under their jurisdiction are required to be armed during flight. FAA will retain a copy of the policy for each Federal agency. A Federal law enforcement official who is authorized within the established policy of the employing agency to carry a weapon aboard a certificate holder's airplane is required to notify the certificate holder involved of the flight on which that person intends to be armed in accordance with the procedures set forth in subparagraph 6a above. The procedures of subparagraph 6a also apply to military persons that need to be armed during flight aboard civil aircraft in scheduled or public charter operations.
WHAT!!?? You mean Buddy has been Arkancided? I started to fear for Buddy's life the day he tripped Willie while the cameras were on him. Poor ol' Buddy. He was the one member of the Clinton family who had the courage to oppose King William the Innocent.
Yes, that would have been the prescription for genuine wisdom and valor; qualities appreciated in a man guarding a President. . .
Perhaps it is just our orientation, but since most seem to agree that this is now HIS mistake, cannot help but wonder, about this attention getting, grandstanding response from a man whose job requires just the opposite. . .
Makes this all a bit 'curiouser'. . .so to speak. . .
Now Bush is probably stuck with a secret (?) service agent who is not just a little too angry and thin-skinned to be protecting his life; but who apparently will be looking to CAIR for help, as well. Not good news.
. . .the reality of his job, his professionalism, his wisdom. . .his job of putting the President first, not himself. . .SECRET Service agents are just that. . .why has he chosen to make a public issue of this? Particularly, since he is Islamic. . .
. . . are we at all surprised to learn that GW has an Islamic body guard. . .suspect the answer is YES; and surely this agent knows there is a 'built-in' surprise here that would make this situation even more understandable; if even a comma were out of place. . .or not; though I suspect he was not as prepared with his paperwork as the newer expectations may have dictated. But the 'whatevers' aside, WHY trade on this when his job requires the highest degree of discretion?
These guys are supposed to take bullets. Why hasn't he taken this one; the reality check is, there IS a 'war' out there. . .
There is already some question in his death, apparently there was no blood, and someone had seen him earlier on a leash, only to return to find him OFF the leash. There are some rumors to a tryst, but as yet, they are unfounded.
Well, my mistake is saying he is Islamic; apparently he is an Arab, but it is the 'American-Islamic Council who is initiating this suit on his behalf. . .in ANY event; maybe this organization should be investigated just as the Islamic charities have been; now shut down for funneling funds to terrorists. . .
Truth is, these people can choose to be part of the solution or continue to support the 'problem' by the battles THEY choose.
As for the bigger picture here, what all this could mean. . . the effects it might have; planned or otherwise; could be rather chilling; but then, don't they know it. . .
Notified CAIR. What if CAIR didn't need notifying? If this guy is one of the Islamics, it's entirely possible that the thing was planned. Possibly by people in CAIR, even.
Doesn't matter. He was carrying a gun. Does matter.
And like it or not, he "fit the discription" and he of all people should understand the pilot's perspective, IMHO.
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