Nature weeding out the stupid. Part One.
 

2:55 p.m. PDT June 25, 2004 - A man who was arrested at an Orange County airport after he allegedly tried to board a flight with a loaded gun and knife said he forgot the weapons were in his carry-on bag, authorities said Friday.

Ali Reza Khatami, 65, of Yorba Linda, had a .38-caliber handgun and a 6-inch buck knife with him when he attempted to catch a plane Thursday bound for Chicago from John Wayne Airport, sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said.

A federal transportation inspector noticed the weapons during a routine X-ray of the carry-on bag. A joint terrorism task force that includes the FBI was investigating the discovery.

Amormino said, "At 1:30 yesterday afternoon, he attempted to go through the security screening area. In his carry-on luggage, TSA people observed a loaded handgun and a 6-inch buck knife."

"We have no reason to believe this is terrorism-related, but there's going to be an ongoing investigation," Amormino added. "He's not on any terrorist watch list or a person of interest -- not until now."

Amormino said Khatami has a criminal record but declined to provide details. The suspect was being held without bail at the Men's Central Jail for investigation of possessing a loaded gun and attempting to carry a loaded gun into a secure area of the airport.

Khatami told authorities he was headed to Virginia, where he has property, and forgot the weapons were in his bag, sheriff's Sgt. Brian Heaney said.

"It's absolute stupidity to bring anything into the airport that could even be perceived as a weapon," Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona said as he waited Friday for a flight at the same airport. "The war on terrorism isn't over, which is why we're so vigilant."

Singpilot,

Did you know that there's a flight from Orange County to Guantanamo Bay? He might make a stopover at a farm in Virginia.

Ali-Reza does.

Well Paul, in this case, the profile was not what got this guy in trouble.

You'd THINK being that persuation would make a NORMAL person not do ANYTHING to attract attention. This guy missed that point.

That crosses over into the NWOTS category.

You noticed that he was on his way to Washington National Airport? Hmmm. Could he really have been THAT stupid?

Or just playing the numbers. I have read that more than one person has boarded a plane recently with wepons of one sort or another. It will be interesting to see what the investigation turns up. If he went to flight school within the last 5 years, he's a dead duck.

during WW2 Italians and Japs were shipped to camps in Calif. I think we should herd up all mid east people in the whole US and ship them to Calif... and then remove all travel privileges.

Maybe Social Security wasn't paying him enough - you know in prison you get 3 square meals a day plus exercise. His only problem now willl be a bar of soap.

Ronin, I hope you are joking. The internment camps that the US put the Japanese and the Italian people were horrible. I think it is disgraceful that this was even part of the United States history.
Someone I work with is the daughter of an American citizen who was put in one of those camps and I have heard stories of how it took the life out of her father.

As far as the the middle eastern people. I have met very wonderful people that have come to this country and worked hard for what they have. These people strive to make a difference in the well-being of all Americans and have proven themselves to be Americans. It is wrong to a put the blame of the actions of one on the group of people as a whole.

This person who got caught should be put in jail for just plain stupidity not for his nationality.

I have found that RoninLB's opinion tends to be more prevalent the closer you get to downtown Manhattan. I cannot fault him for it completely, hence the current thread about Racial Profiling.

So far, no terrorist threat has emerged from this guys' actions. He is on the no-fly list forever, tho. He is going to 'Go Greyhound, and leave the driving to them' for the rest of his life.

He is on that list NOT because he is of Arab descent or apperance.

He is on that list, and in jail on multiple Federal charges because he is stupid.

You'd be surprised how little you have to do to get on that list. The private aircraft charter business incoming calls are full of people who have found out they have lost the priviledge of flying in this country's commercial airline system. Unfortunately, the no fly list extends to commercial charter as well. I cannot imagine the thought that I would never be airborne again in this country.

Trust me, do not ever mouth off to a screener or an aircrew, airborne or on the ground, no matter how idiotic what he or she wants you to do seems.

We are told to report everything, no matter how insignificant, and let 'The Patriot Act' sort them out.

That would be enough to scare me.

Like it or not, it's the law of the land at the moment.

you and other members don't want to know.