Moroccan lawmakers detained at Portland airport
Legislators on a goodwill tour are held for the FBI in an incident called "absolutely unfortunate"
Sunday, February 01, 2004
ERIC MORTENSON
Seven members of the Moroccan parliament, visiting Portland as part of a goodwill tour of the United States, were removed from a Delta Air Lines flight Saturday morning and detained at the Portland International Airport in what officials described as an embarrassing series of coincidences, wrong assumptions and miscommunications.
The Moroccans were released but missed a connecting flight and spent all day at the airport before boarding another flight late Saturday night. In the meantime, officials searched their luggage, the FBI questioned their intent and their American hosts -- including Multnomah County Commissioner Serena Cruz -- found themselves apologizing for what appeared to be a case of post-9/11 jitters.
"They're like congressional people," Cruz said. "They're national elected officials."
When the Moroccans arrived Wednesday in Portland for a round of talks with scholars, political leaders and business people, they were greeted by the Royal Rosarians and bouquets of roses, said Cruz, who was the lead host for the visit.
"I'm very embarrassed, I'm really frustrated by their treatment here today," she said.
Speaking through an interpreter, the visitors said they fully understand security precautions but said their treatment was unacceptable. They carried diplomatic passports and Delta officials were aware of their status, they said.
If the situation were reversed and seven members of the U.S. Congress were touring Morocco with proper papers, "the situation would never materialize," Ahmed Salhi said.
The Moroccans, Cruz and a Transportation Security Administration official gave this account:
The group was preparing to board a 7 a.m. flight when one of their members, Abdellah Abbassi, left to get a cup of coffee, leaving his carry-on bag behind. The other six got on board before he returned, and in the meantime, someone reported the unattended baggage.
Abbassi was detained when he returned and tried to board, and the other members of parliament protested to the flight crew. Due to the language barrier, neither could understand the other. The pilot, using his authority, ordered the Moroccans off the flight, and the Transportation Security Administration became involved.
The visitors' luggage was removed from the plane, and officials became alarmed when they saw documents in Arabic with 911 written on them. It turned out that one of the group's host in Dallas, a previous stop, had given them instructions to call the 9-1-1 emergency number if they got into trouble, but it was mistaken for a reference to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Andrew Coose, the TSA's deputy security director in Portland, said the documents were removed from the luggage and photographed but apparently not returned to the correct bags, a development that further infuriated the Moroccans.
The FBI began to question the group, a process that was delayed until an agent who spoke Arabic could arrive at the scene. The agents determined the visitors were not a threat and released them.
Coose was apologetic about the incident, calling it "absolutely unfortunate." The agency was not equipped to handle the incident quickly, he said.
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