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Friday April 9, 2010 United Airlines passenger who caused a panic that sent two USAF F-16s scrambling to intercept UA Flight 663 and escort it to Denver International was a Qatari diplomat traveling to Denver on "official embassy business. . .and was certainly not engaged in any threatening activity," according to a statement from Qatar Ambassador to the US Ali Bin Fahad Al-Hajri posted on the embassy's website.
The passenger, who was identified in numerous news reports as Mohammed al-Madadi, reportedly was smoking in the lavatory (in violation of federal law) of the 757, which was en route to DEN from Washington National with 157 passengers and six crew. Upon exiting the lavatory, al-Madadi was asked by a member of the cabin staff what he had been doing and is alleged in some reports to have remarked that he was trying to ignite a shoe bomb. He was subdued immediately by two air marshals on the flight, which landed normally. After questioning, he was released and is believed to have returned to Washington. Al-Madadi has diplomatic immunity and is unlikely to face prosecution for his acts, although he could be ordered to leave the country or be recalled by the Qatar government. Reports indicated that few passengers were aware of what was going on.
The passenger, who was identified in numerous news reports as Mohammed al-Madadi, reportedly was smoking in the lavatory (in violation of federal law) of the 757, which was en route to DEN from Washington National with 157 passengers and six crew. Upon exiting the lavatory, al-Madadi was asked by a member of the cabin staff what he had been doing and is alleged in some reports to have remarked that he was trying to ignite a shoe bomb. He was subdued immediately by two air marshals on the flight, which landed normally. After questioning, he was released and is believed to have returned to Washington. Al-Madadi has diplomatic immunity and is unlikely to face prosecution for his acts, although he could be ordered to leave the country or be recalled by the Qatar government. Reports indicated that few passengers were aware of what was going on.
