Airport terror scare shutdown 'was racist'

[mourningstar]

P
Published: 18 August 2006

A Pakistani woman whose daughter's carry-on luggage caused an airport to shut down for more than nine hours says it was her ethnic background, not a few bottles of suspicious liquids, that set off security officials.

Initial laboratory testing by the FBI turned up no evidence of explosive materials in the bottles carried at Tri-State Airport in West Virginia by Rima Qayyum, a 28-year-old Pakistani woman dressed in the traditional Islamic headcover.

No charges were filed against the woman, who was never detained and was co-operative when interviewed by the FBI.

Qayyum's mother, Mian Qayyum of Jackson, Michigan, told The Associated Press that her daughter is four months pregnant, lives in Barboursville and is innocent.

"It was not only a false alarm, it was racial discrimination because there was nothing," Mian Qayyum said. "They should clear her name and apologise on national TV."

The FBI did not return messages last night seeking comment on the allegations.

A screener noticed a bottle in Rima Qayyum's carry-on bag as she was going through security before her 9:15am flight yesterday to Charlotte, North Carolina, airport authority president Jim Booton said.

The terminal was evacuated at 11:25am after two bottles of liquid in the bag initially tested positive for explosives residue twice, and a canine team also got a positive hit. Chemical tests of the bottles' contents later turned up no explosives, said Capt. Jack Chambers, head of the State Police Special Operations unit.

The woman had purchased a one-way ticket to Detroit by way of Charlotte on Wednesday. The flight eventually left for Charlotte without her.

Rima Qayyum planned to return to the airport today to take another flight, her mother said.

"She just had water to drink because she is pregnant and she had a face wash that had a drop of bleach on it," Mian Qayyum said.

The FBI plans to perform additional tests on the bottles today, Killeen said.

US authorities banned the carrying of liquids onto flights last week after British officials made arrests in an alleged plot to blow up US-bound planes using explosives disguised as drinks and other common products.

The TSA screening looks for a range of explosives residue, some of which can be found on common household items, said TSA spokesman Darrin Kayser.

"Anytime a prohibited item is brought to a checkpoint, then you are going to be immediately more interested in that bag," Kayser said.

Two airlines - Comair and US Airways Express - serve the airport. Commercial airline service was suspended, and about 100 passengers and airport employees were ordered to leave the terminal, Booton said.

After the evacuation, many passengers decided to stay and wait it out.

"We bought them pizza, soft drinks ... tried to make them comfortable as could be in this situation," said Larry Salyers, the airport's manager. "We had them in the parking lot, under trees, in conference rooms, the firehouse."

A Pakistani woman whose daughter's carry-on luggage caused an airport to shut down for more than nine hours says it was her ethnic background, not a few bottles of suspicious liquids, that set off security officials.

Initial laboratory testing by the FBI turned up no evidence of explosive materials in the bottles carried at Tri-State Airport in West Virginia by Rima Qayyum, a 28-year-old Pakistani woman dressed in the traditional Islamic headcover.

No charges were filed against the woman, who was never detained and was co-operative when interviewed by the FBI.

Qayyum's mother, Mian Qayyum of Jackson, Michigan, told The Associated Press that her daughter is four months pregnant, lives in Barboursville and is innocent.

"It was not only a false alarm, it was racial discrimination because there was nothing," Mian Qayyum said. "They should clear her name and apologise on national TV."

The FBI did not return messages last night seeking comment on the allegations.

A screener noticed a bottle in Rima Qayyum's carry-on bag as she was going through security before her 9:15am flight yesterday to Charlotte, North Carolina, airport authority president Jim Booton said.

The terminal was evacuated at 11:25am after two bottles of liquid in the bag initially tested positive for explosives residue twice, and a canine team also got a positive hit. Chemical tests of the bottles' contents later turned up no explosives, said Capt. Jack Chambers, head of the State Police Special Operations unit.

The woman had purchased a one-way ticket to Detroit by way of Charlotte on Wednesday. The flight eventually left for Charlotte without her.

Rima Qayyum planned to return to the airport today to take another flight, her mother said.

"She just had water to drink because she is pregnant and she had a face wash that had a drop of bleach on it," Mian Qayyum said.

The FBI plans to perform additional tests on the bottles today, Killeen said.

US authorities banned the carrying of liquids onto flights last week after British officials made arrests in an alleged plot to blow up US-bound planes using explosives disguised as drinks and other common products.

The TSA screening looks for a range of explosives residue, some of which can be found on common household items, said TSA spokesman Darrin Kayser.

"Anytime a prohibited item is brought to a checkpoint, then you are going to be immediately more interested in that bag," Kayser said.

Two airlines - Comair and US Airways Express - serve the airport. Commercial airline service was suspended, and about 100 passengers and airport employees were ordered to leave the terminal, Booton said.

After the evacuation, many passengers decided to stay and wait it out.

"We bought them pizza, soft drinks ... tried to make them comfortable as could be in this situation," said Larry Salyers, the airport's manager. "We had them in the parking lot, under trees, in conference rooms, the firehouse."

[mourningstar]

These things are surely inevitable, I was waiting for the first reports,.. however it seems like the ruckus created here, was actually racist and not solely based on security ..

[pizza]

According to the news article "......two bottles of liquid in the bag initially tested positive for explosives residue twice, and a canine team also got a positive hit."

She brought a prohibited item to the checkpoint. If she had been a Norwegian grandmother she would have been stopped and questioned. The screeners did the right thing. There was nothing racist about the incident.

[jbuck919]

I think Air France had better start disallowing its male flight attendants from tanning.

[paulb]

Well this stupid senario is just another nail in the entire airline industry's coffin. That last UK "possibly TEST RUN by the islamics" cost the USA airlines millions.
It won't be long before the islamics destory that entire industy.
Don't worry our Uncle Sam will step in and as always foot the bill.

[Corlyss_D]

Hey, John, are you back in Germany? How did the airport experience go?

[jbuck919]

Hey, John, are you back in Germany? How did the airport experience go?

JFK, CDG, se sont des matieres pour les cauches-mare. Excusez-moi, j'ai oublie que je ne parle pas francais. C'est l"Air France, evidemment.

[Ralph]

Hey, John, are you back in Germany? How did the airport experience go?

JFK, CDG, se sont des matieres pour les cauches-mare. Excusez-moi, j'ai oublie que je ne parle pas francais. C'est l"Air France, evidemment.

*****

Really?

[jbuck919]

Hey, John, are you back in Germany? How did the airport experience go?

JFK, CDG, se sont des matieres pour les cauches-mare. Excusez-moi, j'ai oublie que je ne parle pas francais. C'est l"Air France, evidemment.

*****

Really?

"JFK and Charles de Gaulle airports are matters of nightmares. I'm sorry, I fogot that I don 't speak French. Obviously, this is the influence of Air France." Though English is the international language of air travel, the French do not take much trouble to sound comprehensible in English, while I try to be careful for what French and German I have.

I would expect an airport in France to be a nightmare (if only because people are allowed to smoke), but JFK, where I have not been since I was a teenager, was a bit of a surprise. The international terminal only has eight (real) gates and practically no concessions. To get to the rght spot after the puddle jump from Albany you have to ask directions to the front door and then it is a walk that makes--I'm sorry I can't find the comparison. It is an obscenity that the routine take-offs from this pathetic airport include 747s bound for Korea and God knows where else. If I were any of our common international travelers I would consider traveling out of New York a manifest embarrassamnet.

[Ralph]

I don't see any evidence of racism here. Assuming the two field tests were positive, what else could the TSA/police have done?

[pizza]

I don't see any evidence of racism here. Assuming the two field tests were positive, what else could the TSA/police have done?

They could have replaced their racist canines with tolerant ones and re-sniffed!

[Ralph]

I don't see any evidence of racism here. Assuming the two field tests were positive, what else could the TSA/police have done?

They could have replaced their racist canines with tolerant ones and re-sniffed!

*****

Actually, quite a few of the police and TSA dogs are minority group members themselves. Just look at their fur.

[paulb]

By shutting down an entire airport over a suposed threat, no evidence whatsoever, does more to disseminate fears of terror. Reveals the in security and incapacity of the government to foil a successful plot.
Why shut down an entire airport over a lady with her daughter?
They do not fit any of the typical profiles of the previous hitmen.
Sicne they ahd the possible perpetrators in their custody, why shut down an entire airport?
I really do not think the american public wants the terrorists taking over our airlines, but it seems now the government has. What's left of the airlines as destroyed by the terrorists, the government wis finishing off.
Besides this act of terror by the government only creates more enemies than she already has. Enemies may be too strong, lets say she loses friends by doing such stupid things to frighten the public and creating havoc in americans lives.

[Corlyss_D]

P
Published: 18 August 2006

A Pakistani woman whose daughter's carry-on luggage caused an airport to shut down for more than nine hours says it was her ethnic background, not a few bottles of suspicious liquids, that set off security officials.

Initial laboratory testing by the FBI turned up no evidence of explosive materials in the bottles carried at Tri-State Airport in West Virginia by Rima Qayyum, a 28-year-old Pakistani woman dressed in the traditional Islamic headcover.

No charges were filed against the woman, who was never detained and was co-operative when interviewed by the FBI.

Qayyum's mother, Mian Qayyum of Jackson, Michigan, told The Associated Press that her daughter is four months pregnant, lives in Barboursville and is innocent.

"It was not only a false alarm, it was racial discrimination because there was nothing," Mian Qayyum said. "They should clear her name and apologise on national TV."

We need more sensible screening decisions like this. I'm sure there's an ACLU lawyer on the scene; lawsuit to follow. We as a society show no signs of shaking off the instantaneously paralyzing effects of these reflexive condemnations like "racism."