No threat here, people. This has nothing — nothing — to do with terrorism. Why, there are any number of reasons why Fadhel al-Maliki might have wires in his clothing and possibly — possibly — a metal device inserted into his rectum. Happens every day. How many times have you gotten in line at airport security and forgotten where you left your cell phone? Move along, folks. Nothing to see here, least of all a metal device.
Seriously, I am not saying this has anything to do with terrorism. However, I do hope that some explanation is ultimately offered for what on earth Al-Maliki actually was doing. (For one thing, is anyone besides Annie Jacobsen even considering the possibility that jihadists are making dry runs to test security?)
Also, does anyone remember a chap named Mohammed Islam and his cell phone?
From NBC4TV.com, with thanks to all who sent this in:
LOS ANGELES — Officials say a man detained Tuesday morning in a passenger screening area at Los Angeles International Airport was an Iraqi native, but a suspicious item found in a body cavity search did not pose a threat.
They are continuing to investigate what the object is.
They identified the man as Fadhel al-Maliki, a 35-year-old resident of Atlantic City, N.J.
The incident began shortly before 6 a.m. at Terminal One, said Marshall Lowe of Los Angeles World Airports, the Los Angeles city agency that operates LAX.
“About 5:40 a.m., a suspicious item was found during passenger screening,” Lowe said. The item was seized and a Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad was sent to examine it, Lowe said.
An investigation was being conducted by the LAPD, the FBI and the Transportation Security Administration, Lowe said.
KFWB reported that a U.S. Airways ticketed passenger was going through a screening machine when “he set off the alarms.”
The man was detained, and authorities reportedly found wires in his clothing and possibly a metal device inserted into his rectum, the radio station reported.