Arab American Who Guards Bush Is Barred From Flight

[dbaker]

Arab American Who Guards Bush Is Barred From Flight

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - An armed Arab-American Secret Service agent heading to Texas to protect President Bush (news - web sites) was barred from an American Airlines flight Tuesday after the pilot questioned his paperwork, the airline said Thursday.

American Airlines said it prevented the agent from flying because of discrepancies in the standard forms he filled out identifying himself as an armed law enforcement officer and it denied that the decision was related to his ethnicity.

The Secret Service (news - web sites) said it was investigating the incident, which an Islamic advocacy group said appeared to be the latest instance of ``racial and religious'' profiling of Muslims since the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

[dbaker]

Arab American Who Guards Bush Is Barred From Flight

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - An armed Arab-American Secret Service agent heading to Texas to protect President Bush (news - web sites) was barred from an American Airlines flight Tuesday after the pilot questioned his paperwork, the airline said Thursday.

American Airlines said it prevented the agent from flying because of discrepancies in the standard forms he filled out identifying himself as an armed law enforcement officer and it denied that the decision was related to his ethnicity.

The Secret Service (news - web sites) said it was investigating the incident, which an Islamic advocacy group said appeared to be the latest instance of ``racial and religious'' profiling of Muslims since the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

[dbaker]

Lawyers say airline discriminated against US agent

WASHINGTON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Lawyers for an Arab-American Secret Service agent accused American Airlines on Thursday of racial discrimination when it barred him from a Christmas Day flight, saying a single telephone call to the White House would have confirmed his identity.

[dbaker]

Lawyers say airline discriminated against US agent

WASHINGTON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Lawyers for an Arab-American Secret Service agent accused American Airlines on Thursday of racial discrimination when it barred him from a Christmas Day flight, saying a single telephone call to the White House would have confirmed his identity.

[dbaker]

American Air CEO Defends Pilot Who Barred Agent

CHICAGO (Reuters) - American Airlines' top executive defended a pilot's decision to bar an armed U.S. Secret Service agent of Arab-American descent from boarding a Christmas Day flight after the agent reacted angrily when the pilot questioned his credentials.

Donald Carty, chief executive of AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, said in a weekend message left on a hotline for employees that the episode with the Secret Service agent was ''something that runs the very real risk of escalating beyond reason.''

Article includes some brilliant quotes from Dubya. You really had to see it on CNN, though, to appreciate the significant amount of squintin' and stumblin' in speech

[dbaker]

American Air CEO Defends Pilot Who Barred Agent

CHICAGO (Reuters) - American Airlines' top executive defended a pilot's decision to bar an armed U.S. Secret Service agent of Arab-American descent from boarding a Christmas Day flight after the agent reacted angrily when the pilot questioned his credentials.

Donald Carty, chief executive of AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, said in a weekend message left on a hotline for employees that the episode with the Secret Service agent was ''something that runs the very real risk of escalating beyond reason.''

Article includes some brilliant quotes from Dubya. You really had to see it on CNN, though, to appreciate the significant amount of squintin' and stumblin' in speech