Pakistani Woman found with Liquid Explosives at Airport,WV/Jawa

[twa]

Liquid explosives found on woman at regional airport in West Virginia. The woman is an American citizen of Pakistani heritage.

But I feel much safer now that national security decisions have devolved to U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor. Much safer.

WSAZ:

The Transportation Security Administration reports that a passenger's water bottle screened positive for an explosive material around 9:15 this morning. A second test was confirmed at 11:25. TSA is waiting for further testing to determine the exact substance.

NBC News reports that federal screeners found four containers of liquids inside a woman's carry-on bag during the screening process this morning. Larry Salyers, Tri-State Airport Director, tells WSAZ the woman is of Pakistani origin, lived in Jackson, Michigan and most recently lived in the Huntington area. She is being detained for questioning.

Via Charles Johnson via Ace.

You can also watch a live, unedited feeed from the WV airport at this link. And I mean live. The direct network feed.

[Skin'emAlive]

what is wrong with these people?

[twa]

Update:

False alarm?

Explosive residue?

[herrmag]

We need to start having people move to these ****hole countries and see how they like terrorism. Oh wait, most of those dumbasses terrorize each other anyways, so I guess there's no point. /end sarcasm


But seriously, she deserves LIFE in prison, no chance of parole. NO CHANCE!

[swaroopm]

We need to start having people move to these ****hole countries and see how they like terrorism. Oh wait, most of those dumbasses terrorize each other anyways, so I guess there's no point. /end sarcasm

When you say "these ****hole countries," what countries are you talking about? Also, what do you mean when you say, "most of those dumbasses terrorize each other anyways" ? What fraction of people in the "****hole countries" engage in terrorism? Is it really "most" of the people in the countries to which you are referring?

But seriously, she deserves LIFE in prison, no chance of parole. NO CHANCE!

Life in prison? For what crime?

[herrmag]

When you say "these ****hole countries," what countries are you talking about? Also, what do you mean when you say, "most of those dumbasses terrorize each other anyways" ? What fraction of people in the "****hole countries" engage in terrorism? Is it really "most" of the people in the countries to which you are referring?


Life in prison? For what crime?

Ummm, I think both answers are self explanatory. You know EXACTLY what I insinuated. But, if you want me to spell out the countries, I will: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia (Edit: and I forgot to include WV in that list J/K ). I'm sure there's a couple more that I've missed. However, the "terrorism" comment was my feeble attempt at being sarcastic. Hence the /end sarcasm comment. As for terrorizing each other, sects within Islam seem to attack and blow each other up with the same ferocity that they do Westerners.

As for "what crime"; My apologies. I should've written "If found guilty of carrying liquid explosives".

[RiggoReincarnated]

Liquid explosives found on woman at regional airport in West Virginia. The woman is an American citizen of Pakistani heritage.

Wait a minute...I didn't think there were any Pakistanis in West Virginia. This can't be true.

[swaroopm]

Ummm, I think both answers are self explanatory. You know EXACTLY what I insinuated. But, if you want me to spell out the countries, I will: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia (Edit: and I forgot to include WV in that list J/K ). I'm sure there's a couple more that I've missed. However, the "terrorism" comment was my feeble attempt at being sarcastic. Hence the /end sarcasm comment. As for terrorizing each other, sects within Islam seem to attack and blow each other up with the same ferocity that they do Westerners.

I don't know how you came up with the term "these ****hole countries" to describe the countries you've spelled out, but it was not clear to me that those countries were the ones you were referring to in your original post. Thanks for clarifying.

I'm not sure what has prompted the excitement over foreign countries in this thread (and the other one on this topic about the woman at the West Virginia airport). The woman is supposedly of Pakistani descent, but for all we know she has spent her whole life in Michigan and West Virginia, which could make her as much of an American as anyone else. Also, who knows if she's even of Pakistani descent - the first news reports on the 3 men arrested in Michigan with 1000 cell phones described them as Pakistani, and those reports were later amended to say the guys were Palestinian. We haven't heard one thing about Pakistani people committing crimes in this country, then the plotters in Britain were arrested and now every Pakistani person is a terrorist? People need to get a grip.

But seriously, she deserves LIFE in prison, no chance of parole. NO CHANCE!

As for "what crime"; My apologies. I should've written "If found guilty of carrying liquid explosives".

Now that there were no explosives found in her bottles and she has been charged with no crime (see article below), I assume you no longer want to send her to prison for life.

There is a difference between vigilance and hysteria.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060818/ap_on_re_us/terminal_evacuated

Suspicious liquid found at W.Va. airport
By SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER
Associated Press Writer

A West Virginia airport terminal was evacuated Thursday after two bottles of liquid found in a woman's carry-on luggage twice tested positive for explosives residue, a Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman said. Chemical tests later Thursday turned up no explosives in the bottles, said Capt. Jack Chambers, head of the State Police Special Operations unit. The airport was reopened after nearly 10 hours.

"It looks like there were four items containing liquids," said TSA spokeswoman Amy von Walter. A machine that security checkpoint screeners use to test for explosives registered positive results for two containers, and a canine team also got a positive hit, she said.

The TSA screening looks for a range of explosives residue, some of which can be found on common household items, said TSA spokesman Darrin Kayser.

Airport manager Larry Salyers said he was told the woman was a 28-year-old of Pakistani descent who had moved to Huntington from Jackson, Mich. He did not know how long she had lived in Huntington.

No charges were filed against the woman, who was taken from the airport by federal authorities at 5 p.m., Salyers said.

The woman was very cooperative, officials said.

Commercial airline service was suspended, and about 100 passengers and airport employees were ordered to leave the terminal, said Tri-State Airport Authority President Jim Booton.

Two airlines — Comair and US Airways Express — serve the airport.

A screener noticed a bottle in a woman's carry-on bag as she was going through security before her 9:15 a.m. flight to Charlotte, N.C., Booton said.

One bottle contained a gel-type facial cleanser, FBI spokesman Jeff Killeen said.

"Anytime a prohibited item is brought to a checkpoint, then you are going to be immediately more interested in that bag," Kayser said.

The flight was allowed to leave for Charlotte, and the terminal was evacuated at 11:25 a.m., officials said.

The woman had purchased a one-way ticket to Detroit by way of Charlotte on Wednesday, Salyers said.

After the evacuation, many passengers decided to stay and wait it out.

"We bought them pizza, soft drinks ... tried to make them comfortable as could be in this situation," Salyers said. "We had them in the parking lot, under trees, in conference rooms, the firehouse."

U.S. authorities banned the carrying of liquids onto flights last week after British officials made arrests in an alleged plot to blow up U.S.-bound planes using explosives disguised as drinks and other common products.

Some travelers were more surprised than fearful about the discovery.

"This is such a small airport. I never imagined something like this happening here," said Shannon Bloss, who was traveling to Orlando, Fla., for a wedding.

Joy and John Cloutre of Ulysses, Ky., were waiting to begin the first leg of their trip to the southeast Asian country of Brunei when the evacuation order came.

Joy Cloutre told the Herald Dispatch of Huntington that her family didn't want her to leave because of terrorism in the region. "And then we don't even get out of Huntington without something like this happening."

[tizzod]

Hey dude, you do make sense. We all know that the vast majority of citizens in predominately Muslim countries aren't terrorists. Having said that, would it be safe to say that most of the citizens of those countries, who aren't terrorists, tend to look the other way when it comes to it?

*Oh, I'm walking down the street, enjoying a lovely evening...oh, wow, that looks like...is it? It is! It's a bomb factory! I know that Abu Kasim guy! He's crazy, he's no good. Everyone knows he's a serious bomb maker. He lives for seeing how many innocent civilians he can kill. Well, I don't want any of that...* "whistling"

Would you please at least acknowledge that these people know who the bad guys are and know where they can be found, and still do nothing? Will you at least please acknowledge that?

I don't know what's up with this chick from West Virginia. I don't know the story, I was responding to the thread when you got all bent out of shape about countries. Of course people shouldn't brand entire countries terrorists. That's ridiculous. But there sure are a whole lot of people, the vast majority of the population of these countries, who can help us stamp this crap out, and they elect to do nothing. Yes?

[herrmag]

I don't know how you came up with the term "these ****hole countries" to describe the countries you've spelled out, but it was not clear to me that those countries were the ones you were referring to in your original post. Thanks for clarifying.

Swaroopm, always with the common sense. My apologies, I had a moment of anger. I'm usually not angered this easily, particularly because I am of ME descent, but the idea that another terrorist attack had been thwarted got my "panties in a bunch". You are correct. However, I only read what was quoted in the initial post. My mistake. But I stand by my comment about West Virginia!
Just kidding. But yes, after I reread my post, I realized I posted out of anger, rather than providing a rational response. I've had a few.

[CounterTrey]

I don't know how you came up with the term "these ****hole countries" to describe the countries you've spelled out, but it was not clear to me that those countries were the ones you were referring to in your original post. Thanks for clarifying.

I'm not sure what has prompted the excitement over foreign countries in this thread (and the other one on this topic about the woman at the West Virginia airport). The woman is supposedly of Pakistani descent, but for all we know she has spent her whole life in Michigan and West Virginia, which could make her as much of an American as anyone else. Also, who knows if she's even of Pakistani descent - the first news reports on the 3 men arrested in Michigan with 1000 cell phones described them as Pakistani, and those reports were later amended to say the guys were Palestinian. We haven't heard one thing about Pakistani people committing crimes in this country, then the plotters in Britain were arrested and now every Pakistani person is a terrorist? People need to get a grip.



Now that there were no explosives found in her bottles and she has been charged with no crime (see article below), I assume you no longer want to send her to prison for life.

There is a difference between vigilance and hysteria.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060818/ap_on_re_us/terminal_evacuated

Suspicious liquid found at W.Va. airport
By SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER
Associated Press Writer

A West Virginia airport terminal was evacuated Thursday after two bottles of liquid found in a woman's carry-on luggage twice tested positive for explosives residue, a Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman said. Chemical tests later Thursday turned up no explosives in the bottles, said Capt. Jack Chambers, head of the State Police Special Operations unit. The airport was reopened after nearly 10 hours.

"It looks like there were four items containing liquids," said TSA spokeswoman Amy von Walter. A machine that security checkpoint screeners use to test for explosives registered positive results for two containers, and a canine team also got a positive hit, she said.

The TSA screening looks for a range of explosives residue, some of which can be found on common household items, said TSA spokesman Darrin Kayser.

Airport manager Larry Salyers said he was told the woman was a 28-year-old of Pakistani descent who had moved to Huntington from Jackson, Mich. He did not know how long she had lived in Huntington.

No charges were filed against the woman, who was taken from the airport by federal authorities at 5 p.m., Salyers said.

The woman was very cooperative, officials said.

Commercial airline service was suspended, and about 100 passengers and airport employees were ordered to leave the terminal, said Tri-State Airport Authority President Jim Booton.

Two airlines — Comair and US Airways Express — serve the airport.

A screener noticed a bottle in a woman's carry-on bag as she was going through security before her 9:15 a.m. flight to Charlotte, N.C., Booton said.

One bottle contained a gel-type facial cleanser, FBI spokesman Jeff Killeen said.

"Anytime a prohibited item is brought to a checkpoint, then you are going to be immediately more interested in that bag," Kayser said.

The flight was allowed to leave for Charlotte, and the terminal was evacuated at 11:25 a.m., officials said.

The woman had purchased a one-way ticket to Detroit by way of Charlotte on Wednesday, Salyers said.

After the evacuation, many passengers decided to stay and wait it out.

"We bought them pizza, soft drinks ... tried to make them comfortable as could be in this situation," Salyers said. "We had them in the parking lot, under trees, in conference rooms, the firehouse."

U.S. authorities banned the carrying of liquids onto flights last week after British officials made arrests in an alleged plot to blow up U.S.-bound planes using explosives disguised as drinks and other common products.

Some travelers were more surprised than fearful about the discovery.

"This is such a small airport. I never imagined something like this happening here," said Shannon Bloss, who was traveling to Orlando, Fla., for a wedding.

Joy and John Cloutre of Ulysses, Ky., were waiting to begin the first leg of their trip to the southeast Asian country of Brunei when the evacuation order came.

Joy Cloutre told the Herald Dispatch of Huntington that her family didn't want her to leave because of terrorism in the region. "And then we don't even get out of Huntington without something like this happening."

We haven't heard of any Pakistani people commiting crimes int his country?? What about the 2 Pakistani dude who **** the CIA guys when they came out of the CIA headquuaters in Mclean in 1996 I beleive??

Or the nutjob who shot Jews at a Synagoge two weeks ago

http://www.king5.com/topstories/stor...EL.3d89c1.html

He was Pakistani!!!

I also posted an article for all here who have publicly supported Pakistan. Its time Bush and his Adminstartion wake the f2ck up and see Pakistan for what they really are :A Haven and breeding ground for training and financially supporting Terrorists who want to kills us all!!!!!!

I suggest you read it cause somehow, someway every freakin Terrorist act or activity finds some way back to Pakistan!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/articl...2310567,00.html - Pls read for all

[Rdskn4Lyf21]

We haven't heard of any Pakistani people commiting crimes int his country?? What about the 2 Pakistani dude who **** the CIA guys when they came out of the CIA headquuaters in Mclean in 1996 I beleive??

Or the nutjob who shot Jews at a Synagoge two weeks ago

http://www.king5.com/topstories/stor...EL.3d89c1.html

He was Pakistani!!!

I also posted an article for all here who have publicly supported Pakistan. Its time Bush and his Adminstartion wake the f2ck up and see Pakistan for what they really are :A Haven and breeding ground for training and financially supporting Terrorists who want to kills us all!!!!!!

I suggest you read it cause somehow, someway every freakin Terrorist act or activity finds some way back to Pakistan!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/articl...2310567,00.html - Pls read for all

Isn't that where Osama supposedly disappeared into? They breed terrorists and harbor them. Whatever happened to Bush saying in the war on terror, you are for us or against us?

[Barney B]

Whatever happened to Bush saying in the war on terror, you are for us or against us?

Bush has had some fine moments, but that wasn't one of them. When you say that, you tend to piss off people who were more or less neutral in their feelings about you.

[CounterTrey]

Isn't that where Osama supposedly disappeared into? They breed terrorists and harbor them. Whatever happened to Bush saying in the war on terror, you are for us or against us?

Bingo!! That where Osama is..if you read that very good article its talks abouts Pak's ISI. The ISI is like our CIA - there Intelligency Agency which is total automomus..They do whatever they want.. The ISI is protecting OSmam right now along with the nutjob who gave Iran and N Korea Nuclear secrets.

Hey I have a great idea..Lets give pak some more money and more weapons..then one day when the Jihadists take over the country they will access to Nukes!!!! 50 to 100 nukes to people who dream all day of killing us all...isn't that a good feeling

[swaroopm]

Hey dude, you do make sense. We all know that the vast majority of citizens in predominately Muslim countries aren't terrorists. Having said that, would it be safe to say that most of the citizens of those countries, who aren't terrorists, tend to look the other way when it comes to it?

*Oh, I'm walking down the street, enjoying a lovely evening...oh, wow, that looks like...is it? It is! It's a bomb factory! I know that Abu Kasim guy! He's crazy, he's no good. Everyone knows he's a serious bomb maker. He lives for seeing how many innocent civilians he can kill. Well, I don't want any of that...* "whistling"

Would you please at least acknowledge that these people know who the bad guys are and know where they can be found, and still do nothing? Will you at least please acknowledge that?

I don't know what's up with this chick from West Virginia. I don't know the story, I was responding to the thread when you got all bent out of shape about countries. Of course people shouldn't brand entire countries terrorists. That's ridiculous. But there sure are a whole lot of people, the vast majority of the population of these countries, who can help us stamp this crap out, and they elect to do nothing. Yes?

I assume I am "dude." I don't know that I "got all bent out of shape," but I felt compelled to respond to some of the comments. As this news broke today, it was immediately made clear that this woman was supposedly of Pakistani descent, and some people took this and ran with it, for reasons that are not clear to me. I don't blame the authorities for shutting down the airport; better safe than sorry. For the rest of us, though, there is no cause for hysteria.

Separately, I think the point about the situation in other countries is definitely worth discussing. I try to put myself in the shoes of those people who are supposedly "walking down the street, enjoying a lovely evening." In the countries that were described as "these ****hole countries," most people are not that well off - certainly not as well off as the average person in this country. Their primary focus (as well it should be) is going to be on their own (family's) basic needs and survival. The one exception would be Saudi Arabia; if you want to have a clear picture of the situation there and the factors contributing to the rise of fundamentalism (and Wahhabiism) there, I think a great place to start would be Frank Viviano's article on Saudi Arabia in the October 2003 National Geographic.

In the other "****hole countries," where people are just working to get by on a day to day basis, I would say that they don't really have much incentive to take on terrorists in their midst. We can sit here all we want and lambast them because they "tend to look the other way" or "do nothing," but what exactly do we expect them to do? Who do you want them to inform? Do you think their local police are going to (or are even able to) go round up the terrorists? Do we expect the average person in some other country to head on over to their local American consulate to inform on their terrorist neighbors, then just go back home as if nothing happened? What do you think would happen to them and their family at that point? Or, what do you think they think would happen to them?

So, in response to this question,

Would you please at least acknowledge that these people know who the bad guys are and know where they can be found, and still do nothing? Will you at least please acknowledge that?

I acknowledge it, definitely, and I respond by asking: what do you want them to do? What do you expect them to do?

When there were lynchings in the south in the last century, did community members report on who had committed the crimes? What factors kept that type of reporting from happening more often? If there are drug dealers in housing projects, isn't it obvious to the people living there who the drug dealers are? Why don't the residents there just go to the police and tell them who the dealers are? (I recognize these analogies are imperfect, but it's the best I can come up with at the moment.)