Posted on 01/05/2002 1:56:21 AM PST by ImphClinton
N E W Y O R K, Jan. 4 — An American Airlines passenger says he believes an Arab-American Secret Service agent who was kicked off a Christmas Day flight was targeted because of his ethnicity.
"I feel he was most likely removed from the plane — obviously I wasn't privy to the paperwork or that he was a Secret Service [agent] or such — but I think he fit a profile," the passenger, Mark Pueschel, said today on ABCNEWS' Good Morning America.
Pueschel had been seated next to the agent as the American Airlines flight prepared to take off from Baltimore to Dallas. The agent, who was armed, was on his way to work at President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. He was removed from the flight after the captain questioned the validity of his credentials.
Pueschel contacted the Council of Arab-American Relations after seeing a press release on the incident.
Bush 'Madder Than Heck' If Discrimination Seen
Bush told reporters last week he would be "madder than heck" if a government inquiry into the incident found that one of his Secret Service protectors was the victim of discrimination.
The agent demanded an apology from the airline through his attorneys at a news conference Thursday. The agent, whose identity has not been released, did not attend because he was on a security detail and not available for comment in person, his attorneys said. They read a statement in which he said he did not have a vendetta against American Airlines.
"It has never been my desire to make this incident personal," the statement said. "This case is only about the facts. I love my job, and I want to thank my fellow agents for all their support. God bless America."
American Airlines officials have said the agent was removed at the pilot's request because of "inconsistencies" in the paperwork he filed that is required of all federal agents flying on commercial airlines. Religion and ethnicity, American Airlines said, had nothing to do with his removal.
The pilot also released a statement saying the agent was "confrontational" and "abusive."
Christy Lopez, an attorney for the agent, said the agent was a victim of discrimination: "We believe the captain is using that as an excuse for taking him off the plane, but it is quite clear he took him off the plane for other reasons."
The agent has not ruled out filing a lawsuit against American Airlines, Lopez said. He still seeks an amicable resolution of the incident, but he wants airline officials to review their practices so no one else is victimized, she said.
Airline Calls Accusation 'Frivolous'
In a statement, American Airlines called the agent's claims "frivolous" and supported the pilot's actions, saying they were based on concerns for the security and safety of the passengers and crew.
"American carries out its security obligations according to the guidelines provided by the federal government," the airline's statement said. "Those guidelines are applied equally among all passengers, and the company vigorously resents any suggestion of racial discrimination."
You said "OK, so if the issue is the color of the guy's skin"
I will ask how big of an ass are you?
It isn't about color, it's about Aircraft crashing into stuff and Aircraft falling out of the sky!!
Notice I asked other people to consider your idiocy, so when you finally cry Uncle and have the thread erased, others will have a record of it!
As will I, but what will it mean if the truth is that they placed the call, the USSS gave the response that everything was A-OK, and the agent was still kept off the plane? The only way this supports the pilot's position is if someone made the call and the verification could not be made, in which case there'd have been no story.
Pardon my French...
American Airlines the Pilot and the CSO claim they didn't call. Their statement is on another thread.
My problem is they put a known armed presumed terroist off the plane who was hostile and mad. Had he really been what they suspected I shutter to think what could have happened. His gum could cary as many as 30 rounds with several clips.
I've been forced to consider the possibility that most of those who claim to be against profiling in this instance are just people who've had their feelings hurt by AA.
So what could he have meant by, "white guys haven't been blowing up Aircraft, Arabs have"?
How many people of Arab or Arab-American descent are flying everyday? It's got to be hundereds at least. I don't recall hearing that they are all getting tossed off planes.
Right. So when a federal agent, of all people, gets tossed off a plane, it has to set off alarm bells. He ought to be the last Arab-American to get the bum's rush.
Are you for real? This is laughable.
No doubt the pilot was a little jumpy thinking about the passengers, building occupants, and the flight crews also employed by American Airlines (whom he probably knew personally) who were killed by men of Arab descent a few months ago.
No matter who you believe they either let lose a very dangerous heavily armed terroist into the terminal or they knew he was USSS and denied him boarding anyway just because he was Mid-Eastern.
Yes, and this generally points to a problem with this "agent". An SS agent should be cool, professional, and able to keep a low profile. This guy couldn't even properly fill out his paperwork -- after 3 trys!
Or are you suggesting we should just take his word for it? I have a family member in law enforcement. I know what should happen if you need to fly with your weapon. What I don't understand is why both sides didn't have iron-clad, always followed procedures in place to deal with agents flying.
I do he was heavily armed and a suspected terroist. If the pilot really believed this his duty was to secure the entire airport not just his plane. Turning him lose into the terminal would have just made the situation worse had he been right.
HiYo, let's head to Silverado!!
The latest good Western, no?
The beginning with the flying rifle is epic!!!
You're getting emotional.
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