Qatar diplomat smokes in plane bathroom; sets off nation-wide terror scare

[Harry]

A Mideast diplomat who set off a terror scare on a cross-country flight from Washington to Denver never meant to threaten anyone, his boss said Thursday.

 

Mohammed Al-Madidi was questioned and released after he lit a cigarette on a United Airlines flight Wednesday night.

 

Al-Madidi tried to sneak a quick smoke in the airplane bathroom, then he joked about lighting his shoe on fire in an apparent reference to the so-called 2001 "shoe-bomber" Richard Reid when others onboard noticed smoke seeping out from under the door.

 

Flight attendants called air marshals.

 

Two F-16 fighter jets scrambled to meet the plane and President Obama was notified as police, Homeland Security and the FBI raced to Denver International Airport.

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/04/08/2010-04-08_qatar_diplomat_smokes_in_plane_bathroom_sets_off_nationwide_terror_scare_with_sh.html#ixzz0kWVZREFg

[Locomotion69]

Since this "Savage" is a diplomat the united states has its hands tied behind it's back, what they should do though is send him on a one way trip back to his country so he can smoke anywhere he wants to.:mad:

[NYC Bus&Subway]

Heard this in the news and my mom said is he crazy to set his shoe on fire?

[Joe]

A great man once said: "Lock that idiot up!"

[Forest Glen]

It's not a good idea for a man from a Muslim country to make jokes about bombing planes.

[SevenEleven]

And he has the nerve to call himself a diplomat...

[Nova RTS 9147]

[engineerboy6561]

I agree; the dude was an idiot for making a joke about the shoe bomber in the presence of a flight attendant who had no clue who he was. The smoking in the bathroom was stupid, but it is a pretty mundane kind of stupidity. Thus, I disagree with those of you who are calling him "savage" and suggesting he be locked up.

[Deaks]

Al-Madidi tried to sneak a quick smoke in the airplane bathroom, then he joked about lighting his shoe on fire in an apparent reference to the so-called 2001 "shoe-bomber" Richard Reid when others onboard noticed smoke seeping out from under the door.

What a tool. He should think himself lucky actually - some dozy tart from Britain cracked that kind of 'joke' at Miami airport a couple of years ago and ended up spending some time in jail for it as I recall.

[PopsicleXGirl]

if he can't be prosecuted, he should definitely pay for the 2 F-16 fighter jets, the Homeland Security and FBI agents that were called out because of his stupidity, and a one way ticket sending this idiot right back to where he came from. "diplomat"... what a joke.

[metsfan]

 

- A