Another Shoe Bomber? April 7th United Airlines

Qatari Diplomat In Custody After Attempting to 'Light Up' His Shoes
By RHONDA SCHWARTZ, RICHARD ESPOSITO, and BRIAN ROSS
Apr. 7, 2010 —


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.

Authorities say an explosive team is on the way to the airport, and that while the presence of explosives has not yet been confirmed, they believe it was an attempted "shoe bomb."

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.

Authorities said two jet fighters were scrambled from Buckley Air Force Base to accompany United flight 663, a Boeing 757, as it flew the final 40 miles to Denver where it landed safely.

Authorities said the man, identified as from Qatar, was restrained by the air marshals who were on the flight.

The United jet was reportedly being directed to a remote location at the Denver airport.

A spokesman for the FBI in Denver declined to comment.

Breaking News:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36243847/ns ... _security/

Very scary stuff

LGA777

CNN is reporting a passenger on a United flight from Washington to Denver apparently tried to set a shoe on fire...Breaking now, no other details.

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The FBI is probing whether a man tried to ignite his shoes on a United flight traveling from Washington, D.C., to Denver, sources said.

ABC News reported that federal air marshals on the flight stopped and restrained the man, who was a passenger on United flight 663 from Reagan National Airport to DIA Wednesday night. United flight 663 landed in Denver at 7:21 p.m.

According to ABC News, the suspect was identified by authorities as a diplomat in the Qatar embassy in Washington, Mohammed al Modadi.

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Source: AP

Edit:

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Fox News confirms no explosives, passenger may have been smoking a cigarette. #overreaction

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--NYCA Twitter

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A passenger on a flight from Washington, D.C., to DIA reportedly tried to light his shoes on fire during the flight.
ABC News reports that federal air marshals on the flight stopped and restrained the man, who was a passenger on United flight 663 from Reagan National Airport to DIA Wednesday night. United flight 663, a Boeing 757, landed in Denver at 7:21 p.m.
According to ABC News, the man was identified by authorities as Mohammed al Modadi, a diplomat in the Qatar embassy in Washington. The FBI said the man had full diplomat immunity as the 3rd secretary and vice-consul.

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http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/23 ... etail.html

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Fox News confirms no explosives, passenger may have been smoking a cigarette. #overreaction

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CNN (Anderson Cooper) reporting the same. Idiot smoking a cigarette in bathroom then made a stupid joke
about a shoe bomb. "Overreaction" I think not. The Marshall was doing his job and did what he was supposed
to do. Good to know they are on the flights watching over us and the authorities are on alert.

emshighway, what does full diplomatic immunity mean in regards to US airport security checkpoints, please tell me they don't have the option to bypass the checkpoint ? I realize and respect you may be limited to what you can report, not meaning to put you on the spot but very interested re this incident !

Regards

LGA777

2x F-16's escorted the jet in the final 40 mins of the flight. Explosive experts are still en route. They said he may have been able to cover something else up which I assume is the cigarette.

Source: Fox News

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Originally Posted by LGA777

emshighway, what does full diplomatic immunity mean in regards to US airport security checkpoints, please tell me they don't have the option to bypass the checkpoint ? I realize and respect you may be limited to what you can report, not meaning to put you on the spot but very interested re this incident !

Regards

LGA777

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Depends on their position and if they have State Department escort. I doubt this guy did as 3rd highest.

I already posted this on another thread.

Latest is the suspect was in the bathroom for a extended period of time. FAM smelt smoke and suspect may have joked about setting his shoes on fire.

I hope he liked the taste of the carpet on the plane.

Latest is the suspect was in the bathroom for a extended period of time. FAM smelt smoke and suspect may have joked about setting his shoes on fire.

I hope he liked the taste of the carpet on the plane.

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Originally Posted by emshighway

I already posted this on another thread.

Latest is the suspect was in the bathroom for a extended period of time. FAM smelt smoke and suspect may have joked about setting his shoes on fire.

I hope he liked the taste of the carpet on the plane.

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You and Fred posted within a minute of each other, these threads will probably get merged. Anyways from the video on CNN the ramp is filled with law enforcement.

From the pictures on CNN it looks like law enforcement is heavy around the plane.

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The mistaken shoe bomber will probably get to go home tonight since he's a diplomat, but he's lucky he didn't get shot in the head. ^M

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I agree with matt he is lucky they didn't put one through his head. Cable news is going back to normal programming so it seems like everything is calming down.

Yea well, DEN Police, Denver PD, FBI, TSA, FAMs, ICE, ATF, FAA and a few other three letter agencies responded.

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Originally Posted by Fighting_falcon_51

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The mistaken shoe bomber will probably get to go home tonight since he's a diplomat, but he's lucky he didn't get shot in the head. ^M

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I agree with matt he is lucky they didn't put one through his head. Cable news is going back to normal programming so it seems like everything is calming down.

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Hope they didn't tune him up too much or there will be complains.... Naa F' it. Tune this idiots ass up!!!

There will be complaints anyway...racial profiling, overreacting etc. Call the waahmbulance.

I love this quote "the person thought he had diplomatic immunity from smoking on the plane"

They are saying a US Air Marshall saw him go in the bathroom for an extended amount of time, when he asked what he was doing he joked about lighitng his shoe on fire. No indication of explosives involved. He will likely not be prosecuted. A NORAD spokesperson who was on the flight says they scrambled F-16's and the passengers had no idea of what was going on, after they landed they were transferred to a remote location and questioned.

Source: CNN

So he wasn't even tackled or anything? I guess that would explain why there weren't any passengers twittering about it...they didn't see anything.

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Originally Posted by GothamSpotter

So he wasn't even tackled or anything? I guess that would explain why there weren't any passengers twittering about it...they didn't see anything.

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According to the NORAD spokesman they had no clue. I'm surprised they didn't hear/see the F-16 escort.

So the latest update on MSNBC said reports are the guy was smoking in the lav and he said he was "putting out a cigarette on the sole of his shoe".

Fox News reporting Mr. Al-Madadi was enroute to Denver for a consular visit with a jailed Al Qaeda operative. Hmmmmmm.

Denver Post says Qatari government will likely ship Al-Madadi back to Qatar.

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Originally Posted by GothamSpotter

So he wasn't even tackled or anything?

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Too bad.

FAM checked out a passenger in the bathroom for an extended period of time and smelt smoke. Al-Madadi was "invited" to sit with the FAMs for the remainder of the flight. During their conversation Al-Madadi made remarks of setting his shoes on fire. FAMs made request for a meet and greet upon wheels down.

Al-Madadi was released without charges but regulatory violations on the FAA and TSA side are being looked at. Al-Madadi apparently will be returned to his country.