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UK: Muslims enraged at being questioned at airport, call for investigation A few weeks ago I was in an airport, having hurried from a venue where I had just given a talk. I don't ever speak from a written text, but I do carry notes -- a page or two of quotations from various Muslim Brotherhood operatives, etc., including jihadist and Islamic supremacist statements by some putative American moderate Muslims, as well as quotations from the Koran and Hadith, etc. I had this material in my suit pocket, and it dropped out when I took off my suit jacket to...

Note: The following text is a quote: Hamilton Man Sentenced to 30 Months' Imprisonment for Threatening to Bomb Cincinnati Airport and Other Cincinnati-Area Landmarks CINCINNATI—Frederick D. Purvis, 43, of Hamilton, was sentenced in United States District Court here today to 30 months' imprisonment for a series of messages he sent in November, 2008 in which he threatened to blow up seven Cincinnati-area landmarks including the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. He was also sentenced to serve six years of supervised release after his prison term. Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, James A. Zerhusen, United...

A U.S. plane that featured in a European Parliament report into the 'extraordinary rendition' of terror suspects was met by two SAS helicopters in a secret operation at one of Britain's biggest airports. The Gulfstream jet landed at Birmingham International Airport on Friday, October 2, having flown in from an undisclosed location, and was seen by a member of staff being met minutes later by the Special Forces regiment aircraft. Records show that the jet is owned by a subsidiary of L-3 Communications, a multi-billion-dollar defence corporation based in New York, whose clients include several American government departments, among them...

SNIPPET: "Search at Grundy County plant called part of ongoing probe" SNIPPET: "But a source said the owner of the plant, which processes lamb and goat, was taken into custody at his home in Chicago. Documents and records were taken from the plant and from a Chicago travel agency on West Devon Avenue, also owned by the same person, the source said."

Now THAT'S a doggie bag: How customs officers found a cheeky chihuahua in hand luggage By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Last updated at 12:48 PM on 24th October 2009 Customs officers sniffed out a pet chihuahua being smuggled into the country stuffed in a small bag. The tiny dog, hidden in a cage, arrived in Dublin Airport from a flight from Madrid with a Bulgarian man. It was found when his hand luggage was scanned through an X-ray machine and the image of the animal flashed up on screen. X-ray: The tiny dog, hidden in a cage, was revealed when the...

A 36-year-old Richfield man charged with making terroristic threats during an argument with another man in Wright County has been arrested at O'Hare Airport after skipping out before his trial was to begin this month, authorities in Minnesota said today. Ismail Alqawasmi remains in custody after his arrest at 8 p.m. Thursday, the Wright County Sheriff's Office said. The Chicago-Sun Times reported that Alqawasmi flew into the United States from Amman, Jordan, on Royal Jordanian airlines and a customs official conducting a name check found the warrant on a law enforcement data base, according to police. Alqawasmi was searched and...

Airport security chiefs have been banned from subjecting children to a controversial new X-ray scanner that produces ‘naked’ pictures of passengers because of legal warnings the images may break child pornography laws...

10/16/2009 - BAGHDAD (AFNS) -- The Iraq Civil Aviation Authority assumed full control of daily air traffic operations at the Baghdad International Airport air traffic control tower Oct. 1. Before the transition to full Iraqi control, air traffic operations at BIAP were conducted by Iraqis and U.S. Airmen assigned to the 447th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron at Sather Air Base, while more Iraqis trained with the Washington Consulting Group, an American contract firm. "ATC-wise, we work two runways," said Master Sgt. John Kirby, 447th EOSS chief controller. "One side is civil and one side is military. On the civil side,...

Note: The following text is a quote: September 30, 2009 O'Hare Airport temporary staffing employees sentenced for harboring illegal aliens who were given access to secure areas Assisted illegal workers in obtaining unauthorized airport security badges CHICAGO - The owner of a Bensenville temporary employment agency and her assistant were sentenced in federal court Wednesday for harboring illegal aliens and assisting those workers in obtaining unauthorized access to secure areas at O'Hare International Airport, including the tarmac. The sentences resulted from a multi-agency federal investigation conducted in 2007 and led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Mary Gurin, 38,...

SNIPPET: "SPOKANE -- Authorities in North Idaho are reporting that sometime early Tuesday morning a small airplane was stolen from the Boundary County Airport. The Boundary County Sheriff confirms they received a report regarding the theft of a 2005 Cessna T182T aircraft around 7 AM Tuesday morning. The aircraft, with tail number N2183P, is a white and blue fixed wing single engine aircraft. It is believed the aircraft was taken from the airport around 5:45 Tuesday. They're not sure in what direction the plane was flown from the airport." SNIPPET: "Authorities are working to confirm if the theft is related...

A Leipzig man was forced to traipse through the Munich Airport naked after an enraged taxi driver took all of his possessions when he couldn’t pay his entire fare, daily Bild reported on Friday.

BULLETIN -- NEW YORK POLICE AND FBI RAID HOMES IN QUEENS IN TERRORISM INVESTIGATION.6 minutes ago from BNO Headquarters

As any airline passenger can attest, security at the nation's airports has gotten infinitely more stringent in the eight years since the Sept. 11 attacks. While the technology to screen passengers has become more advanced and the check-in lines a little shorter, the question of whether flying is terrorism-proof remains. By now the routine has become mind-numbingly familiar: Travelers take off their shoes and put them in gray plastic containers along with their toiletries. They carry no more than three 3-ounce bottles in a 1-quart plastic bag, remove laptops from cases and so on. It's a scene played out millions...

Note: Photo included. SNIPPET: "That's the way Nick George, a senior at Pomona College, in California, sees what happened to him at the Philadelphia airport two Saturdays ago. George, of Wyncote, Montgomery County, was about to catch a Southwest flight back to school when stereo speakers in his backpack caught the eye of screeners at the metal detector. When they looked though his bag, George said, they found his Arabic/English flash cards, and escorted him to a side screening area. He figures it didn't help that his passport had stamps from Jordan, where he'd studied a semester, and Egypt and...

Recycling posters featuring the picture of US President Barack Obama have reportedly been spotted on garbage cans at the Estonian capital's airport. Obama's photograph is encircled with the three arrows that symbolize recycling and encourages consumers with his campaign slogan "Yes, We Can," Russia Today (RT) reported citing a report at delfi.ee. Eesti Pakendiringlus, an Estonian recycled packaging company, is stressing on the “can” with a pun on the word's other meaning tin.

Johnstown, Pa. If you hate the hubbub of crowded airports, you might want to consider flying out of Johnstown, Pa. The airport sees an average of fewer than 30 people per day, there is never a wait for security, you can park for free right outside the gate, and you are almost guaranteed a row to yourself on any flight. You might wonder how the region ever had the air traffic demand to justify such a facility. It didn't. But it is located in the district of one of Congress's most unapologetic earmarkers: Democrat John Murtha. In 20 years, Mr....

authorities called back an aircraft from the runway on Sunday to arrest a suspected jihadi who had a lookout notice issued against him by the Intelligence Bureau. The Kerala Police is still in the dark about Kabir, a resident of Rippon in Wayanad district, but unconfirmed reports say the IB suspects him of being involved in terror attacks, including the Bangalore blasts in 2008. He is also believed to be close to absconding Indian Mujahideen commander Tadiyantavide Nasir, who is also wanted for the Bangalore serial blasts. Kabir was held at the end of some dramatic moments, which saw a...

Two concourses reportedly were evacuated Thursday afternoon after a suspicious package was discovered at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. Passengers have told The Observer that the concourses were reopened after about a half-hour, but there also are reports of some flight cancellations and delays. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say they were called to the airport shortly after 2 p.m. Office Jean Wassenaar, a spokeswoman for CMPD, said the bomb squad was called to deal with a "suspicious device."

SNIPPET: "A security drill at O'Hare International Airport turned into a real-life scare Thursday when authorities found a suspicious package in the terminal. Federal, state and city agencies conducted a training exercise at O'Hare Thursday, beginning at 1 p.m. Around noon, a package was discovered in Terminal 2, police said."

Flying into Philly with kids. In need of hotel recs.

MONTREAL – Three members of the Montreal family in which three sisters and their aunt were found dead in their car that that plunged into Kingston's Rideau Canal late last month were arrested today. As well, Kingston police have announced a press conference for 2 p.m. tomorrow where the police chief will be outlining all of the details of a major change in focus of the investigation. Up to now, the police were considering the deaths to be "suspicious." The three suspects were apprehended this morning while heading to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, possibly to flee the country,...

TSA Reminds Summer Travelers to be Prepared for Security Press Release July 2, 2009 WASHINGTON – TSA Reminds Summer Travelers to be Prepared for Security As the 4th of July approaches and summer travel heats up, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reminds travelers to be prepared and plan ahead for airport security procedures. To prepare for summer travel, TSA is working with the aviation industry to ensure the highest levels of security for all travelers. TSA also has Family Lanes at every security checkpoint, designed to allow infrequent travelers or those with special needs more time to process through the...

SNIPPET: "Three U.S Airways planes were diverted from Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix to Yuma between 7 and 8 p.m. Monday, said Craig Williams, airport director. He added that he didn't know why the flights were diverted." SNIPPET: "United connects with Los Angeles while US Airways connects with Phoenix."

Bangkok's showcase new international airport is no stranger to controversy. Built between 2002 and 2006, under the governments of then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the opening date was repeatedly delayed. It has been dogged by allegations of corruption, as well as criticism of the design and poor quality of construction. Then, at the end of last year, the airport was shut down for a week after being occupied by anti-government protesters. Now new allegations have been made that a number of passengers are being detained every month in the duty free area on suspicion of shoplifting, and then held by the...

Last year Dell computers commissioned a study that found that 12,000 laptops are lost each week at U.S. airports. Los Angeles leads the pack with 1,200 laptops reported lost or stolen at LAX weekly. Incredibly, most laptops are left behind at security checkpoints, with only 33 percent ever being recovered (17 percent before the flight, 16 percent after). Now, part of our shock about these numbers comes from the absent-mindedness of travelers who lose sight of a valuable piece of luggage -- and one that they probably need to conduct their business or lives at the other end of their...

At Wednesday’s Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board meeting, chairman H.R. Crawford – a former District Council member and Marion Barry confidante – told fellow Board members that he has heard talk on Capitol Hill about yanking former President Ronald Reagan’s name off the local airport and returning it to its previous generic moniker: National Airport.

Batman, Moron, Brest, Old Crow, Mafia, and Asbestos Hill are some of the names that have been included in a list of the world’s funniest, rudest and weirdest airport names. Australian airports Useless Loop, Broken Hill, Woodie Woodie, Wagga Wagga, and Wee Waa have also been enlisted. The list has been compiled by flight search database Skyscanner. According to News.com.au , Skyscanner scoured its database of over 10,000 airports around the world for the purpose. The airport are recognised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Bizarre airport names Batman Airport, Turkey Useless Loop Airport, Australia Mafia Airport, Tanzania Moron...

AUTHORITIES ARREST TWO PEOPLE ABOARD U.S. AIRWAYS FLIGHT AT PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AFTER SMUGGLING HANDGUN ON BOARD.

Note: The following text is a quote: YOU ARE HERE: Home > Reports > Consular Affairs Bulletins > Report Travel Warning: Pakistan CONSULAR AFFAIRS BULLETINS South / Central Asia - Pakistan 16 Jun 2009 The U.S. Department of State issued the following Travel Warning on June 12: The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against non-essential travel to Pakistan in light of the threat of terrorist activity. This replaces the Travel Warning dated February 25, 2009, updates information on security incidents and reminds U.S. citizens of ongoing security concerns in Pakistan. Pakistani military forces are currently engaged in a campaign...

Saudi Arabian Muslim Student Raed Al-Saif at Univ. of Tampa Tries To Get On Plane With 7 inch Butcher Knife in His Carry On Bag, the last name "Al-Saif" is linked to Al-Qaeda. Fifteen of the nineteen on 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia they used box cutters and small knives to take over control of the 4 airplanes on 9/11. The United States government determined that al-Qaeda, headed by Osama bin Laden, bore responsibility for the attacks, with the FBI stating "evidence linking al-Qaeda and bin Laden to the attacks of September 11 is clear and irrefutable". The Government...

Note: The following text is a quote: TSA Testimony on Progress in Improving Transportation Security Speeches & Testimony UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION ORAL STATEMENT OF GALE D. ROSSIDES ACTING ADMINISTRATOR BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION SECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 10, 2009 Click here to read the written testimony on TSA's progress on improving transportation security. Good afternoon Chairwoman Jackson-Lee, Ranking Member Dent, and distinguished members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the President's FY 2010 budget request for the Transportation...

Note: The following text is a quote: Roseville Man Pleads Guilty to “Lasering” Police Helicopter SACRAMENTO, CA—Acting United States Attorney Lawrence G. Brown announced today that BALTAZAR VALLADARES, 30, of Roseville, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge William B. Shubb to interference with the safe operation of an aircraft. This case is the product of a joint investigation by the Federal Air Marshals, the FBI, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, the Roseville Police Department, and the Sacramento Police Department. According to Assistant United States Attorney Matthew D. Segal, who is prosecuting the case, VALLADARES pleaded guilty to shining a...

Two people, including a US Airways employee, were expected to be charged after authorities at Philadelphia International Airport found a handgun and ammunition Thursday morning on a flight bound for Arizona. According to preliminary information from investigators, someone waiting for a flight saw a US Airways employee hand a carry-on bag to a passenger beyond the security screening line. After other passengers chatted about what they construed as suspicious activity, at least one person contacted the TSA. The 7:10am flight, which was already taxiing out for departure, was called back and searched. The bag was located on the plane and...

Note: Posted here for archival purposes. Note: The following post is a quote: Newark TSO Finds Replica IEDs and Blasting Caps TSA Weekly It was business as usual at Newark Liberty (N.J.) International Airport on May 8 when a male passenger checked his nine bags. But the quiet did not last long. Two of the bags contained replica improvised explosive devices, accompanied by inert blasting caps. "Finding these items demonstrates exactly why TSA is in the airport screening bags and passengers," said Newark FSD Barbara Powell. Recognizing the threat items, TSO William Lynch immediately notified Supervisory TSO Al Graddy and...

SNIPPET: "U.S. Airways flight 4423 was supposed to leave Lynchburg for Charlotte around 2:30 p.m., Airport Director Mark Courtney said. Instead, it was delayed for nearly three hours while Transportation Security Administration workers and local law enforcement made sure it was safe to fly. Campbell County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Kevin Schmitt said a 23-year-old man was overheard on his mobile phone making the comments while he was standing in the airport lobby. “He was overheard by a TSA official making the comment that the plane wouldn’t make it to Charlotte — that it would fall out of the sky,” Schmitt...

A man was jailed today for shining a laser at a passenger plane preparing to land. Hossein Hosseiny briefly illuminated the cockpit of the Dublin to Cardiff aircraft which was carrying 52 people on board on the evening of March 8. The pilot said the actions of the 21-year-old father-to-be from the Countisbury Avenue area of Llanrumney, Cardiff, caused a "momentary loss of concentration" during his approach to the runway due to a "dazzling green light". The incident was reported immediately by the pilot to air traffic control and Hosseiny, a failed asylum seeker from Afghanistan, was arrested soon after...

TUSTIN – A 19-year-old Tustin man and a friend were arrested by Tustin police Wednesday night on suspicion of pointing a laser at commercial aircraft landing at John Wayne Airport. Mengyang Sun and an underage girl were arrested around 11 p.m. after Tustin police were sent to the area of El Camino Real and Parkcenter Lane to check out reports that someone was shining a laser at passing cars. (snip) Sun and the girl were arrested and taken to the Tustin Police Department. The girl was released to a parent. After FBI investigators interviewed Sun, he was booked into...

Downturn Creates Drag on Traffic at Region's Airports Travelers at Reagan National Airport, where the number of commercial passengers fell 8.5 percent in March. (By Dominic Bracco Ii For The Washington Post) By Alejandro Lazo Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, May 25, 2009 The recession has landed at Washington's local airports. All three major hubs -- Dulles International, Reagan National and Baltimore-Washington International Marshall -- have reported drops in the number of passengers and fewer flights departing their runways this year as the global economic downturn leaves some business travelers and pleasure hoppers sitting at home. The result for these...

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Privacy advocates plan to call on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to suspend use of "whole-body imaging," the airport security technology that critics say performs "a virtual strip search" and produces "naked" pictures of passengers, CNN has learned. The national campaign, which will gather signatures from organizations and relevant professionals, is set to launch this week with the hope that it will go "viral," said Lillie Coney, associate director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which plans to lead the charge.

A BLIND INTERNATIONAL interpreter who says he was dragged off a Belgium-bound flight, arrested and held in custody in Philadelphia for hours without food or water faces an arraignment Thursday. His crime: He questioned why his U.S. Airways flight was delayed nearly two hours. Nicola Cantisani, 61, of Brussels, Belgium, a professional translator who has been blind since birth, was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, police said. "This is taking airplane security to a new and ridiculous level," said his attorney, A. Charles Peruto Jr. "It's pretty crazy." Cantisani and his wife, Paola, were returning to Brussels April...

The Federal Aviation Administration, after reviewing concerns about a project at a regional airport named after Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), has decided to go forward with plans to use $800,000 in stimulus funds to repave the airport's alternate runway. Late this afternoon, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation confirmed that the department had completed its review and would be releasing the funds for the Johnstown, Pa., airport project. DOT spokesperson Jill Zuckman said the review was undertaken after a "senior policy" official at DOT decided he wanted to reconsider the project, but she declined to identify who that...

The Italian police have arrested two men suspected of planning an attack on the Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris. They are also suspected of planning other attacks in France and Great Britain. The two are thought to play a leading role in the al-Qaeda network.

John Murtha's Pork Laden Airport!

SNIPPET: "Theresa L. Penwell is being investigated for a "weapons violation" at Denver International Airport that was reported at about 9:35 a.m. Saturday, according to a Denver police report. Penwell was taken into police custody when two guns were found in her possession at a DIA checkpoint, said Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson. Penwell was interviewed and released pending further investigation."

LOS ANGELES, CA—A resident of Orange has been found guilty of willfully interfering with aircraft pilots for intentionally shooting a laser at two commercial airliners that were on approach to John Wayne Airport. Dana Christian Welch, 37, was convicted yesterday afternoon of two felony counts, each of which carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The evidence presented at trial showed that Welch intentionally aimed a handheld laser at two Boeing 7-series jet airplanes that were preparing to land at John Wayne Airport on the night of May 21, 2008. The first plane, a United Airlines...

<p>CNN) -- Passengers were reportedly taken hostage on a charter flight at a Jamaican airport.</p> <p>They were boarding the CanJet flight from Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay to Halifax, Canada, late Sunday when the security breach occurred, said Elizabeth Scotton, a spokeswoman for the company that manages the airport.</p>

US Marine arrested at Logan April 19, 2009 05:42 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – + John C. Drake, Globe Staff A US Marine was arrested today at Logan International Airport after federal airport screeners discovered a gun, bomb-making materials, and ammunition in his checked baggage, State Police and Transportation Security Administration officials said. .

JERUSALEM – Israeli fighter jets were scrambled to escort a Delta Air Lines plane flying from New York to Tel Aviv after the pilot activated a hijacking alert by mistake. Transportation ministry official, Dani Shenar, told Israeli media Saturday that nobody was hurt in the incident. He said two jets hovered briefly over the plane carrying over 100 people and escorted it safely to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport. A technical malfunction had prevented the pilot from communicating with the airport's control tower. The transportation ministry said it will launch an investigation.

Dramatic daylight terror raids on a university may have been linked to a plot to blow up a shopping centre or nightclub, police fear. Students at Liverpool John Moores University watched in shock yesterday as two men were hauled outside and forced to the ground by armed police.  Witnesses said the duo  -  students at the university's Business School  -  were wearing combat trousers and hiking jackets, and claimed there were rumours of 'a bomb' on the premises.  (edit) The raid was one of a series carried out simultaneously across the North-West in which 12 suspects believed to be...

The Transportation Security Administration is investigating the detention and harassment of a Ron Paul organization official by airport screeners, an incident that was caught on tape at a St. Louis airport. Steve Bierfeldt, director of development for Campaign for Liberty, was selected for additional screening after officials spotted a metal box in his luggage that contained a large amount of cash and checks made out to the campaign. Mr. Bierfeldt was attending his organization's regional conference in St. Louis and said he was keenly aware, as the situation unfolded March 29, of a controversial report issued to Missouri law enforcement...