Posted on 06/25/2004 6:56:23 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - A man arrested at an Orange County airport after he allegedly tried to board a flight with a knife and a loaded gun said he forgot the weapons were in his carry-on bag, authorities said Friday.
A federal transportation inspector noticed the weapons during a routine X-ray check. A joint terrorism task force was investigating.
Ali Reza Khatami had a .38-caliber handgun and a six-inch knife with him Thursday when he attempted to catch a Chicago-bound plane from John Wayne Airport, sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said.
"We have no reason to believe this is terrorism-related, but there's going to be an ongoing investigation," Amormino said. "He's not on any terrorist watch list or a person of interest - not until now."
Khatami, 65, has a criminal record but authorities declined to provide details. The suspect was being held without bail.
Amormino said Khatami is a U.S. citizen who has lived in the country for 40 years and has a son in southern Orange County.
"It's absolute stupidity to bring anything into the airport that could even be perceived as a weapon," Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona said. "The war on terrorism isn't over, which is why we're so vigilant."
Nothing to see here, move along...
"Ali Reza Khatami"
"has a criminal record"
"We have no reason to believe this is terrorism-related, but there's going to be an ongoing investigation,"
Who the hell are they trying to kid?
I thought the exact thing!
" Ali Reza Khatami had a .38-caliber handgun and a six-inch knife with him Thursday when he attempted to catch a Chicago-bound plane from John Wayne Airport, sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said. "We have no reason to believe this is terrorism-related,... "
Well I have reason to believe this was terrorism related.
Sheesh, I am glad they got him.
Which means he has no business having a gun in his posession.
From San Diego paper:
"Khatami told authorities he was headed to Virginia, where he has property, and forgot the weapons were in his bag, sheriff's Sgt. Brian Heaney said."
That's an Iranian name.
It's not for nothing that LA is know as "Tehrangles".
Good catch
Can't get more conclusive than that.
From AirWiseNews
Ali Reza Khatami, 65, a retired construction business owner, Iranian origin
When caught, they always plead ignorance.
Before I even got to the third paragraph I said it`s an Abdul Ali ..Gee, what a suprise. Of course airports still refuse to profile don`t they? Being Islamic has nothing to do with terror to them. "oh he`s American" Yeah, and so was Charles Manson. Maybe one day they`ll learn but I assume it`ll take another 20 of them with bombs in their shoes or azzholes. If it was up to me I`d deport every last Muslim scum mutt right out of this country pronto. You want to belong to the killer cult Mohammed former name Joe Doe? Good, then cult your ass out here pronto, Allah Abkar. . Freggin scum mutts.
He's got a criminal record, but they aren't tellin' us what it is ...
He's got a loaded .38 (excellent choice for close quarters kill/maim) ...
He's got a six inch knife ...
He obviously has a prepared in advance carry-on bag (I forgot they were there means this bag was prepared enough time ago that it was ready for this flight) ...
40 years in this country is a long time to sleep ... wake up Rip, you're goin' t' jail.
Tell us about your son, too.
"It's absolute stupidity to bring anything into the airport that could even be perceived as a weapon," ...
unless this was not to be a stupid act, but a daring one.
Whether terrorism related or not, in this post-9/11 world it's better to be safe than sorry. I agree, I'm glad they got him too. I have no sympathy for those who get their plastic scissors confiscated at the check-in counter, like a family friend of mine did. She was angry, and I told her, better to have those plastic scissors confiscated than to be sitting under a bright lightbulb explaining it to some FBI agent, serving time behind bars.
I suppose it's possible, even after 40 years here
"We have no reason to believe this is terrorism-related, ..."
How about his NAME for starters, Einstein.
"We have no reason to believe this is terrorism-related, but there's going to be an ongoing investigation," Amormino said. "He's not on any terrorist watch list or a person of interest - not until now."
Khatami, 65, has a criminal record but authorities declined to provide details. The suspect was being held without bail.
Doh! The TSA screwing up again and removing someone from a flight with a gun, a six inch knife, with middle eastern connections.
Hell, I want to see the knitting needles and a female with silvery hair whose ancestors left northern Europe in times past.
LOL!
Hmmmmmmmmm.....
... but let's not jump to conclusions.
Two plus two has been equal to four all of my life, and I have credible testimony that it was so even before I was born. The left would not want me to prejudice, or profile, or jump to conclusions that the next time I see "2 + 2" it will necessarily add up to four. It just might be three one of these days and it would be a shame to be unfair about it.
How long before the ACLU file a profiling lawsuit on his behalf? I am surprised that they acutally found the stuff. I thought they would be too busy searching Catholic Nuns.
No kidding. Those folks in Cally are completely on top of the situation! I really do look forward to their warnings if any Chicom ICBMs are launched...
DOH! I hate it when I do that!
Today, boarding a flight from San Antonio, in line ahead of me was a young man, about 20, in the military.
He was going through the x-ray and it set the machine off. The TSA brain-deads shuffled him off into the penalty box where the scanned his body and arms and legs, with the legs setting off the alarms. . . .well, they SHOULD have---both legs were missing just below the knee and he was wearing two prosthesis. A wonder to observe, as he needed no crutches.
In addition, this brave young man was wearing short-legged pants so everyone could see that he was without legs and had the prosthesis.
Nonetheless, the TSA goons proceeded to treat him like he was a potential terrorist goon. . .my God, I am convinced more and more that anyone doing the airport TSA job must have ZERO self respect. . .how else to explain treating a seriously wounded young man like that? How can they look themselves in the eye. I’ll bet their own dog doesn’t respect them.
Goons.
Ali Reza Khatami... sounds like a Norwegian Lutheran name.
I read an article somewhere that there was a concern about weapons being smuggled in, in prosthetic limbs.
Yeah, but an active duty, combat wounded serviceman?
Now, if was Achmed wearing a prosthetic limb, yank the darned thing off and shred it. . .just to make sure.
Leave the combat wounded alone and start to profile. TSA must stop insulting our servicemen.
Nice bio page.
I went to Southwest Texas State Univ and then was a police officer in Temple, TX. Miss Texas terribly and hope to return some day.
Cheers.
I hear what you are saying and our soldiers deserve better but knowing how we feel what is to stop a terrorist from stealing a uniform or dressing up as an old lady or a woman carrying a child if they know we have soft spots for these people.
We can what-if all day. . .but profiling is what counts. Profile and we focus on the most likely and avoid acting stupid.
If the 9-11 terrorists were Swedish Animists with blonde hair and blue eyes, then I would focus on that profile.
It used to be called smart law enforcement--using your resources effectively.
Its time for the retired Mr. Khatami to move into an "assisted living facility" where he can be locked down and monitored continuosly.
You call it profiling. I call it instinct. Nothing wrong with that but locking us in a box because we are expecting dark skinned mid-east appearances could kill us. I think we need to take the time and screen everyone. Better late than dead IMO
Yes - but at his own expense, not on our dollar...
Ali Reza Khatami had a .38-caliber handgun and a six-inch knife
Am I missing something here, Barney Fife???
The "assisted living facility" I was thinking of has bars (i.e., a prison).
You, sir, are correct.
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