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Old August 20th, 2004, 15:13   #12
tonyw
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Default Re: Yeah ... airline \"security\" is A-OK!

Just ask this guy:

Omar was born in the United States, carries a U.S. passport, and speaks without an accent. One day he showed up at the El Al ticket counter at Kennedy airport after spending $1,500 for a ticket to visit his relatives in Israeli-controlled Palestine. Omar was refused transport on El Al and no explanation was given. When he protested, the airline's staff asked the police to escort him from the terminal.

Switching to another carrier, Omar finally landed in Israel. Because he had been denied passage on El Al, however, he was also denied entry into the country and was immediately sent back to America. Having been banned from El Al, and because he'd been denied passage into Israel, he was subsequently detained and interrogated at every connecting point both abroad and in the United States.

"Orwell was an optimist," Omar said. He lost the full price of his ticket and is fearful of attempting the trip again. He reminds us that the Syrians on flight 327 would probably face similar groundless detainment should they ever attempt to visit the United States again, for the absurd reason of having once been wrongly suspected of something.


Ask the Pilot

Tell me what happened to Omar isn't complete and utter BS.

This isn't a bunch of Syrians coming from a country that sponsors terrorism, although that terrorism isn't directed at the US.

This is a US citizen, born and raised here.
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