Apr 08 2010

NBC News: Airline bombing attempt foiled

United flight from Washington, D.C. to Denver lands safely

A passenger attempted to light an explosive device but was subdued by a federal air marshal aboard an airliner flying from Washington to Denver on Wednesday night, sources close to the House Homeland Security Committee told NBC News.

United Flight 663, a Boeing 757 with 157 passengers and six crew members aboard, landed safely at Denver International Airport, airline and airport officials said.

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    • TMC on April 8, 2010 at 04:46
    • #

    Obviously the air marshal did hid job and everyone is safe, thank the Goddess. The Nay sayers will flood the airways 24/7 for the next week that Obama is making us vulnerable to terrorist attacks and everyone will continue to take off their shoes. (sigh)

  2. Hope so.

    I haven’t seen anything on this yet.

    My guess, just a guess, is that it is another mentally deranged incompetent. We’ll see.

  3. until we have more information before wildly speculating; Ballon Boy comes to mind.

  4. Just as Wikileaks came out with the video of the U.S. Air Force, who killed “innocent civilians” in Iraq, eight of them.  

    Never fails that shortly after some major revelation of what we have done, there is some kind of an “event” (indirect, so to speak) to justify whatever it is we’ve done!

    Look back at the pattern — it’s there!

    Thanks, Mishima!  

    • TMC on April 8, 2010 at 05:50
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    Apparently this guy is a diplomat and exempt from screening by the TSA as per ABC News

    FBI  agents say no explosives were found in the shoes of a Qatar diplomat who was subdued by federal air marshals on a United flight to Denver Wednesday night after allegedly telling the marshals, “I’m lighting my shoes on fire.”

    Authorities say the diplomat was wrestled to the ground and two F-16 fighter jets were dispatched to accompany the 757 on the final 40 minutes of its flight to Denver. Flight 663 originated from Washington Reagan airport.

    (emphasis mine)

    h/t David Dayen @ FDL

  6. From AP:

    A Qatari diplomat trying to sneak a smoke in an airplane bathroom sparked a bomb scare Wednesday night on a flight from Washington to Denver, with fighter jets  scrambled and law enforcement put on high alert, officials said.

    Two law enforcement officials said investigators were told the man was asked about the smell of smoke in the bathroom and he made a joke that he had been trying to light his shoes – an apparent reference to the 2001 so-called “shoe bomber” Richard Reid.

  7. …Impossible.  Impossible.  At least 17 impossibilities, and it isn’t even breakfast yet.  

    Where are we?  What world is this?

    Am I crazy?  Or are we all?

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