You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Home Front
Co-pilot arrested after bomb-in-shoe joke
2003-08-09
An Air France co-pilot has been arrested at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport after joking that he had a bomb in his shoe.
'Tain't funny, Jean-Pierre...
American authorities say the pilot refused to pass through a metal detector at a checkpoint, and also declined to remove his shoes when asked to do so. After making his comment he was arrested and taken to the airport detention facility. He will appear in court later this weekend charged with falsely reporting an incident — charges that carry a cumulative sentence of up to 11 years in prison. The incident forced the cancellation of a flight to Paris with 350 passengers on board.
For up to 11 years... Might as well step out and take in a show...
Air France says his remarks were misinterpreted.
"Non, non! I said I had a 'poo bum'!"
"That's just nonsense syllables, Jean-Pierre. It don't mean nothin'."
"Up to 11 years does..."
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#8  Good post,TGA.
NMM(Rantburg's resident Francophile)screw France.
What are they going to teach the U.S.,Proper Discourse and Protocals for Terrorist and Dictator Appessment.
Posted by: raptor   2003-8-10 7:55:49 AM  

#7  This lesson, NMM? (Damn lenient sentences mandated by German law unfortunately, only successful murder gets life. We'll have to work on that.)

"Mar 10, 2003 11:33 am US/Eastern, FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) Four Algerians, , three of whom admitted training in Afghan terror camps, were convicted Monday of plotting to bomb a French Christmas market and sentenced to prison terms of between 10 and 12 years.
The four were convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, conspiring to plant a bomb and of weapons violations, capping a trial that opened under intense scrutiny last year but never exposed the inner workings of al-Qaida in Europe as prosecutors had hoped.
Prosecutors claimed the defendants were part of a network of predominantly North African extremists called the Nonaligned Mujahideen, with ties to al-Qaida. But the government dropped charges of belonging to a terrorist organization in January to speed up the trial.
Salim Boukari received the longest sentence, 12 years, followed by Fouhad Sabour, 111/2 years. Both had denied intent to kill, insisting they targeted an empty synagogue in Strasbourg, France.
The five judges of the Frankfurt state court called that argument "absurd" and said the four plotted to detonate a bomb in the market near the cathedral in Strasbourg on New Year's Eve 2000, when it was packed with holiday revelers.
The defendants had planned "a horrific bloodbath at a peaceful Christmas market that could have hit anyone, including unsuspecting, defenseless people," Presiding Judge Karlheinz Zeiher said in reading the verdict."
(CBS)

Terror has no borders, NMM. If the French think they are "in third line only as terror targets" (I'm sure you figured that out without dictionary, *com), they will indeed have a cruel wake up call. Did you know that they have places in the outskirts of Paris where French police doesn't dare to venture at night? What is brewing in the "banlieue" WILL explode in their faces sooner or later.

Ummm now what exactly is the lesson the French could tell us?

I'm glad that Schroeder seems to wake up earlier than Chirac. And that Bush noticed it.
Posted by: True German Ally   2003-8-9 11:32:52 PM  

#6  Does anyone here remember the St Michel metro bombings and nascent Islamo terrorism in France in 95-96? The French put a big stop to that! Remember the plan to crash an Air France jet into the Eiffel Tower? They stopped that in Marseilles! Now Condi is shocked that they would do such a thing in NY & Washintgon--HAHA Bullshit! The French could have taught us a lesson--but y'all don't wanna hear that because they speak "Phwrench" Small minded morons
Posted by: Not Mike Moore   2003-8-9 11:01:54 PM  

#5  TGA - Sheesh! You mean I gotta go get my monitor dirty translating that? (snicker) I do like your closer:

"Give him four years and then let him swim back to France."
LOL - that's just so perfect it's an instant classic! And besides - who, besides Air Phrawnce would let him aboard? Shit, I'm still laughing... Cool, TGA!
Posted by: ·com   2003-8-9 9:01:42 PM  

#4  "...and THEN the asshats like this twinkie will get it."

How should he now when the people in charge still think that France is only "en troisième ligne des cibles potentielles du terrorisme, derrière les Etats-Unis, Israël et la Grande-Bretagne en premier lieu, puis l'Allemagne en deuxième ligne." (Le Monde)

Give him four years and then let him swim back to France.
Posted by: True German Ally   2003-8-9 8:47:04 PM  

#3  Anonymous - I'm gonna break a rule and respond to a generic anonymous comment. Your posted comment is worthy of attention, please pick a name to avoid being ignored - the norm in the better Blog Neighborhoods!

I can only guess at the myriad number of complications that might ensue from using anything other than English in ATC comms. I was trained as a Tower Operator in the US Army, so I know a little - and that's all I'll say about that. The US invented modern commerial air traffic control systems, and to avoid just such stupidity, the World standardized on English. It's impossible to pre-anticipate all of the possible instances where using mixed-language in information exchanges could lead to errors - and aviation errors are frequently fatal, so it's actually motherfucking important to get it absolutely right.

That, of course, pales in comparison to the obvious Phrench NEED for maintaining their Phrench Identity™. Uh, huh. Arrogant Phrench Assholes. They can shove their Ministry of Imaginary Kulture™ up their well-used Phrench asses - it'll fit, I'm sure.

As if I needed it, this is yet another reason to choose pan-pacific routes over the Euro / Atlantic routes, which has been my habit for the last 12 years. It just got promoted to absolute rule.
Posted by: ·com   2003-8-9 6:39:52 PM  

#2  French aviators appear to be a world apart. ATC at CDG only speak French to French aircraft, at the insistence of the French crews. This has contributed in no small part to one accident and one death already.
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-8-9 5:57:32 PM  

#1  Oh this is amazingly phunny / stoopid. Of all the people to pull a dumb stunt like that - and then to refuse the absofuckinglutely minimal standard checks. Burn him. If Air Phrawnce wants access to US airports, they will figure this out ASAP. Just wait, folks, one of their disaffected little Arab immigrant dipshits will bomb the Louvre or something equally symbolically Phrench and THEN the asshats like this twinkie will get it. You day is coming Phroggies, don't doubt it. Be afraid, be very very afraid - of your own.
Posted by: ·com   2003-8-9 5:10:04 PM  

00:00