Arab-American secret service officer removed from flight
Regional-USA, Politics, 12/28/2001

An Arab-American Secret Service officer and member of US President Bush's Secret Service security, was forced to leave a flight, reports the US anti-Discrimination Committee calling the move "a disturbing incident which can only be categorized as illegal airline passenger discrimination."

The incident took place at Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) on December 25. The officer says that, on December 25, he was a scheduled passenger on American Airlines flight departing from BWI to the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. The officer who was originally scheduled to accompany the President aboard Air Force One to Crawford, Texas, was placed on a commercial flight because of a change in the President's schedule.

Due to a mechanical problem, the initial commercial flight and the officer was rescheduled on another flight with the same company. ADC reports that the officer was confronted by airline security personnel and was asked to exit the plane and submit to additional security checks.

After a delay of one hour and fifteen minutes, during which the officer was questioned by the American Airlines' flight's pilot, airline officials, and airport police, he was removed from the flight despite the fact that the officer offered to have the United States Secret Service verify his identity as a member of the Secret Service attached to President Bush's security service. No other reason was given for his removal.

Brian Marr, the Secret Service spokesman has confirmed the account of this incident to the media. This incident was also reported by many media outlets.

ADC says it has been directly contacted by the officer and filed an official complaint with the proper authorities at the United States Department of Transportation and requested that American Airlines take the necessary steps to remedy the situation.

ADC Legal Advisors consulted with the officer and provided him with legal recommendations and potential attorney representation.

ADC adds that while it strongly supports all measures to secure air travel as outlined by all U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration directives, it deems that the incident clearly points to national origin and/or ethnic discrimination by American Airlines and its agents. The unjustified and discourteous treatment of the officer, in charge of the U.S. president safety, cannot be attributed to random security measures or random passenger inspections and is indefensible and unacceptable, says ADC.

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