Moroccan lawmakers detained at Portland airport
 

Oops, our bad.


Moroccan lawmakers detained at Portland airport

Legislators on a goodwill tour are held for the FBI in an incident called "absolutely unfortunate"

02/01/04

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.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/orego...0113239800.xml

I heard about this. I guess this Incident shows that even if you're on a friendly Leisure/Business visit from another Country, The Paranoia is still there from 9-11 and the Airport Security is not taking any chances.

Re: Moroccan lawmakers detained at Portland airport
 

Of course not Ahmed. People from the US don't make plane hijackings their crime of choice.

-Rudey

Re: Re: Moroccan lawmakers detained at Portland airport
 

Never knew the Moroccan lawmakers who were invited there were behind the plane hijackers. Do you have information that they are Al Qaeda? Or maybe its only because they are arabs?

No. They are just stupid.

You know those people that were absolutely totally obtuse in college? Some were in your classes, some lived in the dorms and apartments. The ones you used to roll your eyes about?

Well they are the same people doing this type of stuff. God Help us.

The inmates have taken over the asylum . . .

I'm sorry but shame on the Delta Officials!!!! and These are Moroccon government OFFICIALS...had they been americans, all hell would break loose. I can imagine their anger.

Re: Re: Re: Moroccan lawmakers detained at Portland airport
 

The fact that they were lawmakers and questioned shows it's not just because they were Arab and that everyone is suspect - specially when they do something suspicious like in this case.

-Rudey
--Try again.

Again, Americans would never be in that situation.

-Rudey
--And AMERICANS are having their legal rights limited for fighting for terrorist groups so seems that everyone has to deal with it.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Moroccan lawmakers detained at Portland airport
 

You asserted, let me quote you "Of course not Ahmed. People from the US don't make plane hijackings their crime of choice." Unless my logic is wrong, you have accused the Moroccan lawmakers as individuals who have committed a crime. Then you went on to accuse them of hijacking an airplane. Which I refuted by asking you evidence if you have evidence that these Moroccon lawmakers have ever hijack a plane. Second, they are under diplomatic protection, which Delta knew about. They Delta official should have notified the airport official that they are here as guests and they are under diplomatic protections. Third, they did nothing wrong, the 911 was given to them as information should they get in trouble. It was an information given to them by their hosts. So Rudey, I would like to see this inteligence which shows the Moroccan are in anyway affiliated with a crime that involves hijacking a plane.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Moroccan lawmakers detained at Portland airport
 

No stud, you're logic is wrong.

-Rudey
--Try again.

Moroccan lawmakers detained at Portland airport
 

What is this supposed to mean?

Re: Moroccan lawmakers detained at Portland airport
 

It means that AMERICANS have not been hijacking planes. American nationals are in camp x-ray at the moment for other terrorist acts however so it's not just rabs.

Now if you want to twist what I said through bad logic and poor reading skills fine. But at the end of the day, the fact that:

a) papers can be forged
b) luggage was left behind (something that gets a blonde 50 year old soccer mom in trouble)
c) they even questioned lawmakers so nobody was immune and no profile was met

means that Ahmed made a ridiculous statement and that you are stretching in the hopes that you can pin your silly argument on me.

-Rudey
--Keep on trucking

It took me a while to get used to your sense of humuor *lol*



Ps: just hope your aren't being serious!

He's being serious :) Rudey is just from a demographic that is unlikely to b bothered by the new security measures for many years . . .. so he is unconcerned about possible abuses in the system, or to give him his due, he believes that the risk of future deaths to US citizens far exceeds possible abuses in the system and the new limitations on our Bill of Rights.