AP sources: Diplomat was to meet jailed terrorist

[louis-t]

Source: Associated Press

AP - A Qatari diplomat was on his way to an official visit with an imprisoned al-Qaida sleeper agent when he touched off a bomb scare by slipping into an airline bathroom for a smoke, officials said Thursday as the diplomat prepared to leave the U.S.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100408/ap_on_go_ot/us_plane_disturbance

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Whoa! The plot thickens.

[wryter2000]

1. Smart guy

kind of ruined his mission by making a stupid joke, didn't he?

[Old and In the Way]

2. A jailed sleeper agent?

Guess (s)he's not really a sleeper agent if he's in jail, right?

[louis-t]

3. Ha! Good one.

Maybe he meant "he sleeps a lot". Anyway, the article says that these diplomats often visit prisoners to make sure they're being treated right. The headline is mis-leading.

[alp227]

4. Diplomat in flight disturbance released, won't face charges

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- A Qatari diplomat who was questioned by federal investigators after a disturbance on a flight to Colorado has been released without charges, officials said Thursday.

Mohammed al-Madadi was en route to Colorado for a series of consular visits, including a visit with a convicted terrorist being held in a federal facility in Florence, Colorado, a spokeswoman for the Qatari Embassy told CNN. His flight was escorted into Denver, Colorado, by two F-16 fighter jets after initial reports that he may have attempted to set a shoe on fire -- a report that may have stemmed from what one U.S. official called an "unfortunate comment" by the diplomat.

The U.S. official told CNN the passenger was in a lavatory for a long time and may have been smoking. He was questioned by air marshals aboard the United Airlines jet and again by the FBI after the plane landed.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/08/us.airliner.disturbance/index.html?hpt=T2

[louis-t]

5. A guy I used to know got thrown off a plane

on his honeymoon. He was drunk and made a comment about hijacking a plane.