Qatari Diplomat Was Going To Visit Jailed Al-Qaeda Agent

Qatari diplomat Mohammed Al-Madadi (left) and jailed Al-Qaeda agent Ali-Al-Marri

The Qatari diplomat whose smoking attempt in the bathroom of a United flight from D.C. to Denver involved air marshals, an ill-advised joke about lighting his shoes on fire, and F-16 fighter jets escorting the plane on its descent is expected to leave the country by today. Mohammed Al-Madadi, 27, who has diplomatic immunity, was not charged; State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said, "This is a very serious issue. Any of us who travel on airlines are reminded of this when we take off. In our communications with the Qatari ambassador last night, he fully understood the seriousness of the charges."

And now it's revealed that Al-Madadi was on his way to Denver to visit a jailed Al-Qaeda agent (according to the AP, "Consular officials frequently visit foreigners held in the United States to make sure they are being treated well"). The Post reports, "The prisoner, Ali al-Marri, was arrested after the 9/11 attacks on charges of being a sleeper agent while studying at Bradley University in Illinois, and is serving eight years after pleading guilty to conspiring to support terrorism. Authorities said Marri was researching poisonous gases and plotting a cyber attack. Alison Bradley, a spokeswoman for the embassy, declined to answer why a database manager would be going on a consular visit to a terror suspect. She said his embassy title was third secretary."

Former TSA administrator Kip Hawley, who served in the Bush Administration between 2005 and 2008, told the NY Times, "From a counterterrorism standpoint, the system worked perfectly. The T.S.A. and counterterrorism officials are on high alert for a very good reason. Al Qaeda is going to use pregnant women, people with babies, and it is not out of the realm of possibility that they will use a diplomat."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on April 9, 2010 11:27 AM

Comments [rss]

Darrell

The story makes it seem like a US diplomat is never sent to foreign countries to check on the conditions of people arrested for murder or drug trafficking, when in fact this is a fairly common thing. To me its either the sign of lazy editors uneducated in diplomatic processes, or someone trying to paint all the brown people as conspiring terrorists.

Pachinko

Being a diplomat essentially gives one the right to convict crimes and not be charged. It's an ideal position for sociopaths, drug dealers, murderers, and terrorists. Oh, and their children too.

Tower18

It depends. They are immune from prosecution in the United States, but it's not like they can always get away with anything. For a big enough crime, the US will either ask for their immunity to be revoked, or inform their home government that they are no longer welcome in the United States, at which point they will be recalled. Most countries will then prosecute that crime at home.

For instance, if a British diplomat murdered someone, they would probably have their immunity instantly waived, or be sent back to London on the first plane, where police would await them.

Spirit of 76

"From a counterterrorism standpoint, the system worked perfectly."

Really? Again, if this guy actually was a suicide bomber, just how useful would those F-16s have been? Hey, don't try to blow yourself up or we'll be forced to shoot you out of the sky! Besides, he had already left the lavatory before he was confronted. A real bomber would have detonated before this "perfect system" got to him.

Duffy

@fuboy

Gut reaction, I agree with you. But if he's here, it's easier for us to spy on him.

CR

"declined to answer why a database manager would be going on a consular visit to a terror suspect"

Maybe his SQL Server was on the fritz. Or maybe they don't care about this guy so they sent any ole' schmuck.

fuboy

Yeah, but a DBA visiting a man who was plotting a cyber / technology attack is very suspicious. A very large amount of technologies are database-driven, and a well executed attack could be just as dangerous, if not more, than a traditional 'light-my-shoes-on-fire' type of attack.

In any case, Al-Madadi's immunity should be revoked the man himself sent home.

Eugene

A very large amount of technologies are database-driven, and a well executed attack could be just as dangerous, if not more, than a traditional 'light-my-shoes-on-fire' type of attack.

Yes, how will life go on without Facebook, Twitter, and all our favorite food blogs?