Apparently a man potentially has an explosive device in his shoes and attempted to set his shoes on fire. He was unsuccessful as he was stopped by Air Marshals. He is now claiming diplomatic immunity as he as a diplomatic passport from Qatar. (via Ace of Spades)
I’ll keep you up to date on this tonight.
UPDATE (10:11): ABC is reporting that the FBI indicates Mohammed al Modadi does have full diplomatic immunity:
Authorities say an explosive team is on the way to the airport, and that while the presence of explosives has not yet been confirmed, they believe it was an attempted “shoe bomb.”
The suspect was identified by authorities as a diplomat in the Qatar embassy in Washington, Mohammed al Modadi. The FBI said the man had full diplomat immunity as the 3rd secretary and vice-consul.
UPDATE (10:50): Greta reported that this could be a giant misunderstanding. She indicated that Modadi may have been trying to light his shoes on fire to cover up another smell. I’ll let you know when something a bit more concrete comes out to set this story straight.
UPDATE (11:00): CNN sources are now reporting that Modadi was smoking in the plane’s bathroom and then joked that he was going to blow up the plane using explosives in his shoes. If this is true, we have found the dumbest diplomat evah!
UPDATE (11:12): ABC is now reporting that no explosives were found on the plane which suggests this could be a big misunderstanding. MSNBC has suggested that Modadi could have been trying to put out a cigarette on the sole of his shoe.
So what are the chances that, if this is a misunderstanding, that Modadi gets an apology and a bow?
UPDATE (9:45): I hope this is the final story (emphasis mine):
Federal officials said Mohammed al Modadi was on official business when he boarded United Airlines Flight 663 from Washington to Denver, giving him diplomatic immunity.
More than 160 passengers and crew were onboard when flight attendants noticed smoke coming from the bathroom and notified federal air marshals on the plane, government sources said.
When the marshals demanded to know what he was doing, the man identified himself as a diplomat from Qatar and responded, perhaps sarcastically, “I’m trying to light my shoes on fire.”
Al Modadi’s comments Wednesday set off a chain reaction of security and terrorism responses, including F-16 fighter jets that scrambled from Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado to accompany the flight during its descent into Denver. The plane was met by the FBI and local law enforcement.
“If this was an overreaction, it was not only an understandable one, it was a good one,” Nance said.
Al Modadi’s shoes were examined once the flight landed, government officials said, but no traces of explosives were found.