Washington: The Qatari diplomat whose furtive smoke aboard a United Airlines flight will not be charged with any crime, thanks to his diplomatic immunity.
The Qatari ambassador to the United States said that Mohammed Al-Madadi, who was traveling on official business, had made a “mistake”.
The “mistake” in question was not so much the smoking, which can land people who do not have diplomatic privileges in a whole lot of trouble, but the joke he made about what he was doing. A joke which saw the the United Airlines Boeing 757 plane, its 157 passengers and six crew, escorted by two F-16s to Denver International Airport.
Reuters reports a U.S official as saying:
It looks like the individual in question was perhaps smoking in the lavatory and might have made an unfortunate remark.
Qatar’s ambassador to Washington, Ali bin Fahad al-Hajri was also quick to dismiss any suggestions that the diplomat posed a threat:
He was certainly not engaged in any threatening activity. The facts will reveal that this was a mistake, and we urge all concerned parties to avoid reckless judgments or speculation.
As for that joke, CBS reported that when two U.S. Marshals aboard the flight asked Al-Madadi why they could smell smoke coming from the bathroom, he told them it was because he was trying to light his shoes.
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You haven’t mentioned the “Joke”.
Are you avoiding it for some reason?
He told them he was trying to light his shoes, that was the joke.
He told them he was trying to light his shoes, that was the joke.
You haven’t mentioned the “Joke”.
Are you avoiding it for some reason?
You haven’t mentioned the “Joke”.
Are you avoiding it for some reason?
He told them he was trying to light his shoes, that was the joke.