Qatar Diplomat Should Be Expelled....

[rsmith6621]

......The State Department should impose immediate expulsion for this Diplomat.....this was not a funny matter and shows a definite lack of respect for our country and those who died on 9/11.

This would not have been tolerated if it were you and I and it certainly should not be with a guest of the country...

[Posteritatis]

1. Alternately, everyone involved should unwedge the stick a bit. (nt)

[rsmith6621]

2. I Respectfully Disagree

.....by doing so dilutes the ability for law enforcement to their job....sorry but I work in the airline industry and another major incident whether a terrorist hit or plane crash could be the straw that breaks the camels back...

....Again if it was you or me Ill bet you would be needing an attorney you couldn't afford and be missing a few days work till they released you on bail.....

......At what point do you think we should take these matters serious....?????

[Posteritatis]

5. Sorry, can't have much respect or sympathy for that industry now

Too much idiotic, useless, expensive, counterproductive security theatre, of which overreactions like this are an example.

[rsmith6621]

8. That is Until you Are A Passenger On One Of These. Flights

....but oh yah because you like to provide aid and comfort for this type of behavior to be given a pass you would probably sit on your hands and do nothing....serious or not.


Christmas Day was almost.......

[Posteritatis]

10. LOL, mindreading and an accusation of treason in the same post.

Classy.

[Subdivisions]

3. Bullshit. The guy was smoking a cigarette. That used to be a common

thing until it wasn't. Also, the shoe-bomb joke, though perhaps in bad taste, is also no reason to expel a diplomat. Afterall if it were me, I'd make fun of us too for letting the real criminals of 9/11 get away with it and oppress the U.S. population in the process. We're a joke to many foriegners.

[rsmith6621]

4. Well....Smoking is...

Against the law on an airplane at least the last time I flew which was last Friday.....

..... I don't care what our reputation is abroad and take up the real criminals with your congressman and the Bush administration..

[Subdivisions]

6. Sure... n/t

[JCMach1]

11. even on Qatar air...

In all seriousness, I wonder if the guy was drunk as well.

[Cleita]

15. Someone needs to introduce him to Snus.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/06/lesley-stahl-says-snus-an_n_527680.html

[BrklynLiberal]

7. I think you have a good point. The guy is an idiot.

[hlthe2b]

9. It was stupid and a message has been sent...

We don't want the ante to be upped for expulsion of US diplomats, so I say we should let the embarrassment to Qatar serve for now.

[WillyT]

12. Man... You Anti-Smoking Types Don't Fuck Around, Huh ???

:hide::evilgrin::hide:

[951-Riverside]

13. I would have love to have been on that flight and have that ass sitting next to me.

All I would have needed to see was him lighting something and he would have has a crushed windpipe by the time I got through with him. I'm surprised the air marshal got to him before passengers did, sad more people don't fight back when these dirtbags cause trouble on flights.

[grantcart]

14. A better answer is too let him go free but - - -

put him on a no fly list.

His diplomatic status means that he cannot be prosecuted but it doesn't mean that he has the right to get on an airplane.

He will find it very difficult to get around the country and will have to drive to Canada to get a flight home.

[anigbrowl]

16. It was handled just fine.

He behaved foolishly by ignoring the smoking regulation and then responding to the cabin crew's complaints with the comparison to the 'shoe bomber'...arrogant and not very smart for a diplomat. On the other hand, millions upon millions of people have to take of their shoes every time they fly to no great purpose because one guy once tried to put a bomb inside his shoe many years ago...there is little to suggest that air travel has become much safer as a result.

It's a small inconsequential incident, far below the threshold that would justify expulsion of a diplomat.

[BrklynLiberal]

17. Check out what Dave Ross had to say about it. I think he hit the nail on the head.

http://www.wcbs880.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=4546407

[hlthe2b]

18. He has now been recalled by the Qatari government per radio news

update this morning. Will look for a link.

As I suspected, the embarrassment (probably combined with some heated rhetoric behind the scenes with the US Ambassador, or even SOS Clinton) had the desired effect. Everyone can feel vindicated and relax now.


On edit, I'm not finding a confirmation that he's been recalled, only stories that conclude that is likely... It may be that the radio news segment (on XM satellite) I heard was premature.