Britain’s first Muslim minister, Shahid Malik, says he is “deeply disappointed” that he was detained by airport security officials in America.
The international development minister was stopped and searched at Washington DC’s Dulles airport after a series of meetings on tackling terrorism.
TSA grabbed him at JFK, last year, too. Apologized, blah, blah.
But he was again searched and detained by DHS officials on Sunday.
“I am deeply disappointed,” he said. “Obviously, there was no malice involved but it has to be said that the USA system does not inspire confidence.”
Puts it diplomatically, doesn’t he?
To be honest, if I was a custom’s man, I’d detain ANY British cabinet minister, regardless or race or religion….
So does the Honorable Minister reckon that because he is involved in politics he shouldn’t be searched with the rest of us?
So does the Honorable Minister reckon that because he is involved in politics he shouldn’t be searched with the rest of us?
Government ministers (of all countries) have diplomatic immunity. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the US will respect it.
This story makes me sad.
Not really shocked though.
As a practicing orthodox geek, I have to be offended by the incompetent creeps running the TSA database. I presume it’s live.
The first time this dude was halted – last year – he was here at the invitation of Homeland Insecurity and the FBI to be a keynote speaker at one of their jive conferences.
Don’t they update anything?
No I didn’t read the whole article but was this guy traveling on a diplomatic passport? If not, why? If so, I’m shocked.
LOL, his first name “Shahid”, means “martyr”.
Maybe that’s a clue?
Still, he should be traveling with a diplo passport, and TSA is looking for trouble for not respecting that.
This does inspire confidence. Here I thought Muslims don’t get searched due to political correctness. Good to know Muslims are being targeted.
He gets searched while the bin Ladens and other Saudi nationals were able to be flown out when all other air traffic was shut down after 9/11.
Goes to show that the allies of BushCo are more important than diplomats from Britian.
Cursor_
Repeating the above, this is sad because it shows the incompetence of our anti-terrorist program==just like every “test” that shows these same inspectors let 75-90 % of bombs and weapons thru security checks.
I fear what we are not catching while we waste time on diplomats.
How much effort should be expended to prevent 911 type attacks? The terrofists win when we spend 10 times the amount of an asset to prevent its destruction. Its called being stuck like a pig and slowly exsanguinating.
#9, bobbo,
exsanguinating
ooooo, I like that one.
Bobbo:
I think you are missing the whole win/win situation that terrorism creates. Everytime they blow something, the government win because they get more power. Every time the government get some power, they shit on Islam so more Muslim’s are likely to become to terrorists. Then you get people like MikeN (#7 Good to know Muslims are being targeted.) who are always ignorant enough to walk right into the terrorists trap and start blaming all Muslims for the acts of a few. The only people who loose are all of us, but since when did anyone give damn about that?
On an aside, terrorism is last the resort of people who loosing a battle, and it usually the resort of people who don’t have many people supporting them (if you have popular support, you target the enemy, like the French resistance did, not random victims). At the end of the day, Nike, Gap, KFC, and the iPhone will prove more popular than any amount of impassioned rhetoric a cleric muster.
-Ben.
#10 – you word whore.
On the passport issue, I’d be curious to know about that. If he should have been traveling on a diplomatic passport, was he? Or did he show at the US Customs and Immigration and decided to use his own passport just to make a point about awful it is in the US (and bolster support amongst his constituencies). If you want to get searched by customs its easy enough to do: cross your arms, don’t make eye contact, and like your lips a lot. Do all that while saying you are representing Her Maj and then not having a diplomats passport, and they are sure to search you….
11–Ben==don’t think I’m missing anything==just talking about the relative merits and cost/benefit analysis==perhaps the one that the average American should be making/understanding.
You are quite right that there are small cabals within government, if not the Entire BushCo coterie, who are using the terrorist attack in the way you state==as is Guilliani, as is Hilliary?
Where would our country be if it had NOT invaded Afghanistan, Iraq etc==spent the money and the goodwill in another way? We’ll never know.
I for one would vote for losing one World Trade Center every 10 years, than what we have done to prevent it. Its like the cost of being the worlds only superpower==like the cost of traffic accidents in order to drive. Why not have a checkpoint every 10 miles to do a complete vehicle safety check?===because its too expensive and we can’t afford it. What we can afford is (what 20K) traffic deaths per year==BECAUSE ITS WORTH IT.
And so goes our war on terror. NOT cost effective.
We need a war on terrible.
#15,
How about a war on those who exsanguinate.
ex·san·gui·nate [eks-sang-gwuh-neyt]. Verb, -nat·ed, -nat·ing. –verb (used with object) 1. to drain of blood; make bloodless. –verb (used without object) 2. to bleed to death.” It still makes no sense, why would a pig bleed to death in an airport? In respect to a report of a Muslim being inconvenienced and embarrassed, isn’t a pork metaphore culturally insensitive?
13 On the passport issue, I’d be curious to know about that. If he should have been traveling on a diplomatic passport, was he? Or did he show at the US Customs and Immigration and decided to use his own passport…
I didn’t know you could have two passports from the same country.
I know some people have dual citizenship, but is it common for diplomats to have “diplomatic” and “personal” passports from their home country?
cursor #8 – At least if they’d blown up the airplane, they would be the only ones killed.
“We need a war on terrible.”
I think a war on stupidity would be even better.
I think a war on stupidity would be even better.
Comment by hhopper
That’d be more of a waste than the War(s) on Drugs (Poverty, Terror, etc.)
J/P=?
The US does seem to be a bit paranoid and everyone seems quite used to it – its normal now.
We have been traveling a lot this month, first to Turkey – no real security panic at the airport there…rather ho hum…then off to New Delhi, India. While we were there a one or two terrorist bombs went off in other cities and we did see a security presence at the airport and they don’t indicate the gate for any flight until 30 minutes before boarding.
Back to China for a few days and then off to a trade show in Brazil – our big mistake was to fly there via the US. What a security circus! We almost missed our connecting flights to and from Brazil due the US keystone cop style security.
Example – We arrive in Miami from Brazil and run the US security gantlet but our final destination is Chicago and we almost missed the connecting flight as we had to run the US security gantlet again! Wouldn’t make sense that people who have been cleared by the TSA and Immigration upon arrival and are traveling on a connecting be allowed direct passage to the gate?
Oh yeah, the threat warning was orange…does it ever change?
Cheers
Where did I say I blame all Muslims for terrorism? I think terrorists are very likely to be Muslim.
Mr. Shahid Malik need to be disappointed of his religion’s followers who vastly support muslim terrorists everywhere mosques are, rather than being disappointed at other countries’ security.
Its not that the americans suddenly became suspicious of muslims out of the sudden and without any reasons, obviously, perhaps he forgot 9/11 happened just 6 years ago.
I guess maybe I’m missing something here. I thought the idea of body searches was to check for possible terrorist weapons etc. So, since 80% of the worlds terrorists are Muslim, dosen’t it make sense to stop a Muslim for a security check? Or should we continue being politically correct and stop the 92 y/o white haired half cripled Grreat-Grandmother from Nebraska?
If I want to stop illegal’s from Mexico, I stop Hispanics coming across the border, not Norwegians.
Some of you people have a very odd sense of security. But then maybe you DON’T want us to stop possible terror activities?
MikeN – good to know that in Profilers’ America, any blond could convert to Radical Islam and cover themselves with plastic explosives, yet not get patted down at the airport because they appear to be harmless Norwegians. Those unfortunate Sikhs and Brits will keep TSA occupied for them.
Also good to know that they could use witless blue-haired old ladies to smuggle weapons onto planes for them, since they will not be searched and they could drive a dump truck full of dope from Tijuana to San Diego and not be stopped because they are not Hispanic.
Joshua: But then maybe you DON’T want us to stop possible terror activities?
Shit, you sussed us. You are so clever. In fact, you are the only one of this blog who isn’t a Muslim terrorists. I guess the jig is up now.
Right, who is up for eating some babies now? I am getting a bit peckish….
Even a diplomat has to comply with TSA security requirements. If they are caught trying to smuggle a bomb or gun on board, they will simply be deported, not prosecuted.
I think it’s funny that every time a goverment official gets caught up in the security rigamorole, it is a news event. But normal everyday people whose name happens to be similar to some mope on the TSA watchlist are almost banned from flying.
Don
#27….un Ben….I knew it…..boy I love it when I’m right. 🙂
Travel much Doug?? The blue hairs, the blondes and babies in diapers seem to be the ONLY one’s being searched. I fly about 12 times a year in a slow year and have yet to see an Arab or other Muslim being searched. I go to Mexico probably 15 times or more a year and watch as the Border Patrol has to let the car loads of Mexicans go because to stop them, and ask for proof of citizenship, is *racial profiling*. If the guy is on a diplomatic passport, then he should have declared before leaving London or whatever they do to get treated better.
Hell, according to Ted Kennedy, he gets stopped and checked out….if it can happen to rotund Teddy, why not a person that not only LOOKS Arab, but has a probable Muslim name.
Go TSA…..a few posts up OFTLO said we get the goverment we vote for….well, sometimes you get the goverment employee’s hired by the goverment you voted for. 🙂
As an elected politician (he is a member of parliament), he wouldn’t have a diplomatic passport – only career diplomats have them and he is a career politician not a diplomat.