Air Marshals Stop 'Shoe Bomb' Attempt On United Jet to Denver (Suspect is Qatari Diplomat)

ABC News ^ | Wednesday, April 7, 2010 | Rhonda Schwartz, Richard Esposito, and Brian Ross

[kristinn]

Federal air marshals subdued a man who authorities say attempted to "light his shoes on fire" on a United flight from Washington Reagan to Denver Wednesday night, federal law enforcement officials told ABC News.

SNIP

The suspect was identified by authorities as a diplomat in the Qatar embassy in Washington, Mohammed al Modadi. The FBI said the man had full diplomat immunity as the 3rd secretary and vice-consul.

[MWestMom]

Tick Tock....Just a matter of time before one of these jerks is successful in there attempt to take lives on American soil. I can’t believe that something the magnitude of 9/11 didn’t dictate forever the level of our security, the seriousness with which our leaders would take relations with know terrorist countries and the intense guarding of our borders. Unbelieveable. And this one is here under immunity?

[ohioWfan]

He did that for a specific purpose to diffuse the volatile atmosphere right after 9/11.

He also waged a serious and deadly war against Islamofascists.

[mylife]

Maybe all the talking heads are busy primping?

[AlanD]

Mohammed could be a Christian or Jewish name. Let’s not jump to conclusions until we learn more facts.

[mathurine]

This would take more balls than the entire Obama administration could muster, but the proper response is to sever diplomatic relations with the Qatar government until they have suitably apoligized, and explained to the international community how they could have had an islamic terrorist in a significant position in their embassy in this country. Of course what the international community thinks is not worth a fart in a whirlwind, so the secret part of the deal should be the waterboarding of the perp, his supervisors, and others. If we did not have diplomatic relations with Qatar for a hundred years, it would not make any difference here. If those islamic pricks don’t have diplomatic relations with us, it might chafe them a bit. But, of course, when you have a culturally confused president who can’t admit that islamist extremists are the main terrorist problem wherever islamists exist, then it’s pretty hard to deal with a problem you refuse to understand.

[marajade]

FNC is saying he’s in custody.

[Moonman62]

About half (52%) reported a fire or explosion before the plane hit the ground. Others stated that they saw a wing detach from the aircraft, whereas in fact it was the vertical stabilizer.[8]

It's a well known phenomenon that witnesses will incorrectly report that a plane was on fire before it crashed.

[hole_n_one]

MSNBC : White House says no explosives found. Suspect was either playing a poor joke or was upset.

[muawiyah]

Whatever the FBI said probably doesn't matter in this case. Obviously the man betrayed his diplomatic post and should be dealt with like any common terrorist.

Qatar can ask for him back of course.

[kristinn]

Pete Williams of NBC News reporting that air marshalls confronted the Qatari after he was in the bathroom on the plane a long time. The plane was about thirty minutes outside of Denver.

The marshalls said they smelled smoke and asked the man what he was doing in the bathroom. The Qatari said he was trying to light his shoes on fire.

No explosives have been found. The theory is the guy (between 25-35) was smoking a cigarette and was annoyed at being challenged.

[ez]

>i>That flight crashed because of over control of the rudder. There's no doubt about it.

What caused the fire and explosion that was reported by 52% of the witnesses?

[Batman11]

They are calling this a ‘disturbance’!! Unbelievable!

[DataDink]

This story can’t be true. Obama just assured us that there si no such thing as Islamic Terrorism.

That is true. This is a case of Diplomatic Terrorism.

[jimbo123]

NBC reporting no explosives in his shoes. He was smoking a cigarette in the bathroom and made a joke about setting his shoes on fire to the air marshall.

[Marty62]

You don’t seriously think an air marshall has been given authority to kill a terrorist now do you?

[DAC21]

“Diplomatic Immunity!!

Revoked!

[PogySailor]

Dhimmi training exercise.

[MWestMom]

“Two jet fighters flew in from Buckley Air Force Base to meet the flight as it flew the final 40 miles to Denver.”

“How’d you really like to see these bad boys on either wing? Too bad they shut down the bathrooms, cause I’d be...”

Waterboarding?

[FReepaholic]

...Easy way to end that. Call in the diplomat of the country and state, very quietly, that no waiver of diplomatic immunity for the offender will result in a classification of said country as a state sponsor of terror, and said newly classified country will experience all the consequences thereof...

You forget who's sitting in the Oval Office these days.

[GeronL]

I would sure hope so