NationStates Jolt Archive

Airport terminal evacuated after explosive found in luggage
AP

CEREDO, W.Va. (AP) A West Virginia airport terminal was evacuated Thursday after two bottles of liquid found in a woman's carry-on luggage as she prepared to board a flight for Charlotte, N.C., twice tested positive for explosives residue, a Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman said.

``It looks like there were four items containing liquids,'' said TSA spokeswoman Amy von Walter. ``Two of those containers tested positive.''

A machine that security checkpoint screeners use to test for explosives registered positive, and a canine team also got a positive hit, von Walter said.

Larry Salyers, manager of Tri-State Airport, said the bottles would be moved by robot to a remote area of the airport where officials would attempt to detonate them. National Guard and State Police explosives experts will conduct chemical field tests to determine their contents, he said.

Salyers said he was told the woman was a 28-year-old of Pakistani descent who had moved to Huntington from Jackson, Mich. He did not know how long she had lived in Huntington.

The woman was still at the airport late Thursday afternoon but was not under arrest, said FBI spokesman Jeff Killeen.

Commercial airline service was suspended, and about 100 passengers and airport employees were ordered to leave the terminal, said Tri-State Airport Authority President Jim Booton.

Two airlines Comair and US Airways Express serve the airport. Comair had to cancel at least one flight, but an early evening flight from Cincinnati was expected to arrive on time, a spokeswoman said.

A US Airways spokeswoman said one of its flights was diverted to Charleston's Yeager Airport about 60 miles away.

A screener noticed a bottle in a woman's carry-on bag as she prepared to board the 9:15 a.m. flight to Charlotte, N.C., Booton said.

One bottle contained a gel-type facial cleanser, Killeen said.

The flight was allowed to leave for Charlotte, and the terminal was evacuated at 11:25 a.m., officials said.

The woman had purchased a one-way ticket to Detroit by way of Charlotte on Wednesday, Salyers said.

U.S. authorities banned the carrying of liquids onto flights last week after British officials made arrests in an alleged plot to blow up U.S.-bound planes using explosives disguised as drinks and other common products.

Some travelers were more surprised than fearful about the discovery.

``This is such a small airport. I never imagined something like this happening here,'' said Shannon Bloss, who was traveling to Orlando, Fla., for a wedding.

Joy and John Cloutre of Ulysses, Ky., were waiting to begin the first leg of their trip to the southeast Asian country of Brunei when the evacuation order came.

``My family didn't want me to leave because of the terrorism in Brunei,'' Joy Cloutre told the Herald Dispatch of Huntington. ``And then we don't even get out of Huntington without something like this happening.''
http://wbt.com/news/detail_wbt.cfm;jsessionid=963063e186a93d3c2076TR?article_id=27278

Charlotte, NC may not have been the target, but it's still pretty big news here. I guess she's be living under a rock for the past two weeks if she's forgotten that liquids were banned from flights.

"Tri-State Airport, said the bottles would be moved by robot to a remote area of the airport where officials would attempt to detonate them."

why do I imagine a robot with a blowtorch trying to make water explode

The woman’s clearly insane she had a one-way ticket to Detroit who in there right mind goes to Detroit especially on a one way flight!!!

http://wbt.com/news/detail_wbt.cfm;jsessionid=963063e186a93d3c2076TR?article_id=27278

Charlotte, NC may not have been the target, but it's still pretty big news here. I guess she's be living under a rock for the past two weeks if she's forgotten that liquids were banned from flights.


She was too busy mixing explosives.;)

*gasp*

Who the hell buys one way plane tickets??

Someone planning to blow themselves up in an airplane, perhaps.

*gasp*

Who the hell buys one way plane tickets??

Someone who's moving from one place to another and it's too far to drive?

You know, the title says "another," but that implies that one has been foiled already, and unless you're going back quite some time, I can't think of another actual plot that's been stopped. I mean, the British one is still in the iffy stage and the cell phone scare turned out to be nothing. Or did I miss one?

You know, the title says "another," but that implies that one has been foiled already, and unless you're going back quite some time, I can't think of another actual plot that's been stopped. I mean, the British one is still in the iffy stage and the cell phone scare turned out to be nothing. Or did I miss one?

I think Scotland Yard would actually do a bit of checking before arresting 24 people in connection with the US-UK terrorist plot. How is it in the iffy stage? As for the cell phone, comon, you just don't buy 80 cell phones and expect to not be suspicious.

Someone planning to blow themselves up in an airplane, perhaps.

how could anyone resist the deals on return flights these days a terrorist could also cause more mayhem by making the plane wait to see if they arrive late! (they are monsters after all)

Comon, anyone whether they were black, brown, white or purple would look suspicious if they were caught tearing apart 80 cell phones in the back of a van at 1 in the morning and have $1,100 in cash.

You know, the title says "another," but that implies that one has been foiled already, and unless you're going back quite some time, I can't think of another actual plot that's been stopped. I mean, the British one is still in the iffy stage and the cell phone scare turned out to be nothing.
A terrorist plot was foiled in Britain last week. It was quite big news and by the time of the arrests the police had learned quite a bit about the plan.

Comon, anyone whether they were black, brown, white or purple would look suspicious if they were caught tearing apart 80 cell phones in the back of a van at 1 in the morning and have $1,100 in cash.

its a good thing suspicion isn’t a crime then

And what do you think they were doing exactly? Filming hookers on allot of cell phones and using the phones in the movie sounds like the only explanation I can think of

Of course no women because the federal Agents had already killed them all

A terrorist plot was foiled in Britain last week. It was quite big news and by the time of the arrests the police had learned quite a bit about the plan.

supposed terrorist plot I might add some Intel from Pakistani torture isn’t evidence in my book

Someone planning to blow themselves up in an airplane, perhaps.

Or going to stay with friends, and unsure of when they're coming back?

I think Scotland Yard would actually do a bit of checking before arresting 24 people in connection with the US-UK terrorist plot. How is it in the iffy stage? As for the cell phone, comon, you just don't buy 80 cell phones and expect to not be suspicious.
The British one may yet pan out, but so far, the evidence that's been released has been pretty thin. The Guardian has done some solid reporting on it so far. The British police are doing their jobs--although their hands were forced by the Bush Administration--and they decided, since their laws allow for it, to play it safe and round up the suspects and try to get enough out of them to charge them.

As to the cell phones, they were indeed suspicious, but there was no plot there. The prosecutors have already backed off the terrorism charges. Therefore, no plot has necessarily been foiled yet.

That too. I was being sarcastic. :p

its a good thing suspicion isn’t a crime then.

Actually it is, it's called "Consipracy to commit a criminal act."


And what do you think they were doing exactly? Filming hookers on allot of cell phones and using the phones in the movie sounds like the only explanation I can think of


Eh, honestly the first thing that popped to my head was that they were going to use the phone for a denonation device for bombs, apparently I was proven wrong. Ah well, live and learn.


Of course no women because the federal Agents had already killed them all

*passes you a tin foil hat*

A terrorist plot was foiled in Britain last week. It was quite big news and by the time of the arrests the police had learned quite a bit about the plan.
As I said in that post, the British one is still in the iffy stages, despite the US media's attempt to make it look like an open and shut case. Now, it may well turn out to have been a legitimate plot, but it could also easily turn out to be one just like the so-called Miami 7, a group that supposedly wanted to blow up the Sears Tower, but had no weapons, no explosives, and who were prompted by the FBI agent who infiltrated them to swear allegiance to Osama Bin Laden.

"Tri-State Airport, said the bottles would be moved by robot to a remote area of the airport where officials would attempt to detonate them."

why do I imagine a robot with a blowtorch trying to make water explode

The woman’s clearly insane she had a one-way ticket to Detroit who in there right mind goes to Detroit especially on a one way flight!!!

Have you ever BEEN to West Virginia?! Detroit isn't so bad by comparison!

As I said in that post the British one is still in the iffy stages, despite the US media's attempt to make it look like an open and shut case.
And the media of the UK, Ireland, Europe and everywhere else.

Now, it may well turn out to have been a legitimate plot, but it could also easily turn out to be one just like the so-called Miami 7, a group that supposedly wanted to blow up the Sears Tower, but had no weapons, no explosives, and who were prompted by the FBI agent who infiltrated them to swear allegiance to Osama Bin Laden.
Rather unlikely. These guys did have liquid explosives in bottles with false bottoms. Of course the matter should be honestly investigated and justice must be served, but I feel no need to nitpick, or personally give the accused the benefit of the doubt on this forum. There's plenty of evidence against them.

The British one may yet pan out, but so far, the evidence that's been released has been pretty thin.

They probably haven't released everything. I don't know about you, but I don't think the people at Scotland Yard would just go busting into homes arresting 24 people without probable cause, and I'm sure the British Intelligence Agency along with the NSA, and PSSI, have been working on this for a long time. Planning a terrorist attack take time, and in that time the government watches them until they have enough evidence to make an arrest.


The Guardian has done some solid reporting on it so far. The British police are doing their jobs--although their hands were forced by the Bush Administration--


Yes, because Bush has influence in Britian, I mean it's not like Britian is it's own sovergin nation or anything. *passes you a tin foil hat*

and they decided, since their laws allow for it, to play it safe and round up the suspects and try to get enough out of them to charge them.

You actually got that backwards, they collected the evidence before they arrested them.


As to the cell phones, they were indeed suspicious, but there was no plot there. The prosecutors have already backed off the terrorism charges. Therefore, no plot has necessarily been foiled yet.

Well I was referring to the UK-US terrorist plot, which was a plot and was foiled. They were two days away from doing a test run.

As I said in that post, the British one is still in the iffy stages, despite the US media's attempt to make it look like an open and shut case. Now, it may well turn out to have been a legitimate plot, but it could also easily turn out to be one just like the so-called Miami 7, a group that supposedly wanted to blow up the Sears Tower, but had no weapons, no explosives, and who were prompted by the FBI agent who infiltrated them to swear allegiance to Osama Bin Laden.

They could still be charged with consipracy to commit a criminal act. Also, they swear alligence to Osama with someone who they thought was one of his followers, that doesn't raise any flag with you? That alone should cause suspicion. Also there are chat logs of them talking about the plot.

They could still be charged with consipracy to commit a criminal act. Also, they swear alligence to Osama with someone who they thought was one of his followers, that doesn't raise any flag with you? That alone should cause suspicion. Also there are chat logs of them talking about the plot.
Conspiracy's a funny thing. You have to take substantive steps towards actually committing the act in order for it to actually be conspiracy (saying to omar "hey, wanna blow up the sears tower" would not get you arrested for conspiracy).
That said:
Air Terminal Evacuated, But 2 Bottles Thought To Be Explosives Were Cosmetics


But law enforcement sources say the substances that tested positive were cosmetic-based products and not a threat CBS News reports.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/17/national/main1906433.shtml


Nice scaremongering Wilgrove.

You know, the title says "another," but that implies that one has been foiled already, and unless you're going back quite some time, I can't think of another actual plot that's been stopped. I mean, the British one is still in the iffy stage and the cell phone scare turned out to be nothing. Or did I miss one?

I think the british one is fairly solid - the claims of disgruntled ex-civil servants aside - though not everyone arrested will be charged. Police Find Bomb Components (http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,1852892,00.html)

This is what caught my eye.

``My family didn't want me to leave because of the terrorism in Brunei,'' Joy Cloutre told the Herald Dispatch of Huntington. ``

What terrorism in Brunei? I hadn't heard of any there, and can't find anything indicating that there has been any.

You know, the title says "another," but that implies that one has been foiled already, and unless you're going back quite some time, I can't think of another actual plot that's been stopped.


How about the New York plot (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/07/AR2006070700361.html) a few months ago.

Did you mean attacks and not plots?
How far along does a plot have to be to count as foiled in your books? The recon stage? Planning? Gathering supplies? Executing dry runs? Actually launched?



I mean, the British one is still in the iffy stage and the cell phone scare turned out to be nothing. Or did I miss one?
I think the british one is fairly solid - the claims of disgruntled ex-civil servants aside - though not everyone arrested will be charged. Police Find Bomb Components

Not to mention the bombers had recieved their go ahead codes telling them to make their attacks. Also, at least one of the suspects may have made a "martyrdom tape".

Comon, anyone whether they were black, brown, white or purple would look suspicious if they were caught tearing apart 80 cell phones in the back of a van at 1 in the morning and have $1,100 in cash.
Eleven hundred isn't that much. What are you, against money or something?

why do I imagine a robot with a blowtorch trying to make water explode

Don't know what you're thinking, but traditionally, robots are used in explosive ordnance disposal to place another charge of explosive next to the suspect material and detonate it via remote control to destroy the suspect material.

I watched someone's luggage get blown up after they didn't claim it at Frankfurt Airport (it was taken to a nearby explosives range). It turned out that the luggage didn't have anything but clothes in it (quite a sight to see clothing flying through the air), but that's what they do with suspicious packages.

Ah right, cool.

This means we're clearly winning the War on Terror, and everything's fine now, eh?

Also, at least one of the suspects may have made a "martyrdom tape".
Oh noes!

And they 'may have', eh?

Sounds like fearmongering to me. And nothing more. Simply because "may have" suggests "this is utter bullshit, and when it's totally false, we'll just say that "may have" is a pretty unlikely occurance".

Ah right, cool.

This means we're clearly winning the War on Terror, and everything's fine now, eh?

If it tests positive for explosives, it's probably explosives.

Doesn't mean we're winning the war on terror - it just means we prevented someone from taking explosives on a plane.

I suppose you think that's a ridiculous thing to do, and that we should allow people to get on planes with explosives.

*gasp*

Who the hell buys one way plane tickets??
I bought one when I was traveling to take care of family, didn't know how long I would stay.

If it tests positive for explosives, it's probably explosives.

Doesn't mean we're winning the war on terror - it just means we prevented someone from taking explosives on a plane.

I suppose you think that's a ridiculous thing to do, and that we should allow people to get on planes with explosives.
No, the ridiculous part is that we singled out this poor Pakistani woman and treated her so badly.

No, the ridiculous part is that we singled out this poor Pakistani woman and treated her so badly.
Yeah, singled her out after the bottles tested positive for explosives...

Yeah, singled her out after the bottles tested positive for explosives...
The quip was facetious. Is this the same explosives test that they do by swabbing stuff with a patch and then putting it in a machine to test the residue?

I've always worried about loading ammo before I travel, just because of those stupid machines.

If it tests positive for explosives, it's probably explosives.


Why does that statement make me think of the Birmingham Six convictions...

Edit: Oh yes, the British Special Branch found traces of what they thought was nitroglycerine, which convinced them the Birmingham Six were involved in bombmaking. The reality, of course, was that the traces of substance they found came from the coating on playing cards.

Shocking how "tests positive for explosives" doesn't automatically mean "its an explosive".

I thought we still believed in "innocent until proven guilty in a court of law"... instead of trial by media.

Why does that statement make me think of the Birmingham Six convictions...

Edit: Oh yes, the British Special Branch found traces of what they thought was nitroglycerine, which convinced them the Birmingham Six were involved in bombmaking. The reality, of course, was that the traces of substance they found came from the coating on playing cards.

Shocking how "tests positive for explosives" doesn't automatically mean "its an explosive".

I thought we still believed in "innocent until proven guilty in a court of law"... instead of trial by media.


Well, in this day and age, if we had a trial to prove guilt before getting on a plane with a bottle of something that tested positive for explosives, the lines would be pretty long.

If it tests positive for explosives, it's probably explosives.


Certain kinds of lotions and hand creams test positive for "explosive residue" by our current machines.

So, whatever you do, don't moisturize before getting on a plane or you will be a terrorist.

Doh! Not a terrorist plot after all (http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=13165).
State Police at Tri-State Airport outside of Huntington tell 13 News the contents of two bottles tested negative for explosives this evening. Further tests are being done to determine why the bottles twice tested positive earlier in the day.

Certain kinds of lotions and hand creams test positive for "explosive residue" by our current machines.

So, whatever you do, don't moisturize before getting on a plane or you will be a terrorist.
Better safe than sorry.

Doh! Not a terrorist plot after all (http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=13165).

Woopsie! That, coupled with no charges having been filed against the 24 UK detainees shows that maybe, just maybe, nothing's been foiled yet.

Just the actions of frothing paranoia.

I gotta admit ... it's a bit funny.

Better safe than sorry.

Coward.

Woopsie! That, coupled with no charges having been filed against the 24 UK detainees shows that maybe, just maybe, nothing's been foiled yet.

Just the actions of frothing paranoia.

I gotta admit ... it's a bit funny.
Or the scary cell phone fellers.

Or the scary cell phone fellers.

Hehe ... yeah that was just terrifying. I have about 12 cell phones laying around here just from over the years upgrading or getting on a new plan or whatever.

I think I'll go sit in a parking lot and dismantle them and see what happens.

Someone planning to blow themselves up in an airplane, perhaps.Why though? One way tickets tend to be more expensive than flight and return flight put together.

Coward.
Tell that to voters. 911 happened. They want to see you "doing something" rather than "doing nothing".

Democratic Senate candidate in our area promising that "he'll do more to make airports, ports, and rail traffic safe" by spending more money on a radical increase in security measures.

Politicians can't "do nothing".

Oh noes!

And they 'may have', eh?

Sounds like fearmongering to me. And nothing more. Simply because "may have" suggests "this is utter bullshit, and when it's totally false, we'll just say that "may have" is a pretty unlikely occurance".

The may have was my addition, erring on the side of IUPG.

They did shoot the bitch though, right? ..right?

And the media of the UK, Ireland, Europe and everywhere else.


we must be reading different newspapers in ireland.....

I'm not going to say that this was a foiled attack, but since liquids aren't being allowed, and she had liquids, and they did test positive for explosives, I think the right steps were taken.

Note she wasn't charged with anything.

Note she wasn't charged with anything.

That'd have to depend on whether it was a proper explosive or something relatively benign. Vaseline is rather flammable IIRC and unless they added some new stuff to airport security, that's not banned.

Now if it was a bunch of household chems mixed together to form a volatile mix, that'd be a different story.

That'd have to depend on whether it was a proper explosive or something relatively benign. Vaseline is rather flammable IIRC and unless they added some new stuff to airport security, that's not banned.

Now if it was a bunch of household chems mixed together to form a volatile mix, that'd be a different story.

I don't know about that but the article says, she wasn't charged with anything.

I don't know about that but the article says, she wasn't charged with anything.

It was probably benign then. Although if she was whisked away to the usual American run gulags, it could probably have been a bottle of coke for all the difference that would have made given the American fascination with putting people away for long periods of time without charge or trial.

It was probably benign then. Although if she was whisked away to the usual American run gulags, it could probably have been a bottle of coke for all the difference that would have made given the American fascination with putting people away for long periods of time without charge or trial.

Only brown people with funny names. *nod*

I'm not going to say that this was a foiled attack, but since liquids aren't being allowed, and she had liquids, and they did test positive for explosives, I think the right steps were taken.

Note she wasn't charged with anything.Apart from the fact that the tests failed to give the right result the first two times, the authorities behaved fine it would seem. That the tests were positive when they shouldn't have been is unacceptable though.

Apart from the fact that the tests failed to give the right result the first two times, the authorities behaved fine it would seem. That the tests were positive when they shouldn't have been is unacceptable though.
I'd say they did. You can't ignore a positive result, especially when it hits twice, and they didn't waste any time rectifying the situation once it became clear that it was a false return.

It's the reaction by the pundit class that has been ludicrous.