Does anyone know what the deal is with those questions they ask you when you check in for a flight in the US? Something like, “Has your luggage been with you at all times? Has a stranger given you anything to carry aboard the plane?”
Is it for CYA purposes to fend off lawsuits (“Honest, we did ask Mr X if he was carrying a bomb…but he told us he wasn’t so we let him on!”) or just to jog people’s memory (-“Hmm…yes, now you come to mention it, that shady looking guy over there did give me these two cylinders and ticking clock to carry on board”)
They always seemed silly to me too. But some people probably do at that moment realize they left their luggage laying around and double check it.
It also helps if the airline finds something in the bag (like 8 heads) then they can hold the owner of the bag responsible and they can’t say “someone must have put it in there” without my knowing.
I’m sure the parts about “Has your luggage been with you at all times? Has a stranger given you anything to carry aboard the plane?” are simply, as you say, to jog people’s memories, and to make them more aware of possible security breaches, where they might have just been thinking in terms of, say, being polite and helpful to strangers.
This reminds me: a while back I heard about a stunt where a couple of guys from a radio show stood outside an airport dressed in Arabic clothing (long flowing robes, turbins, etc) and held up a sign saying “Will Watch and Re-Pack Your Bags For Free”. I don’t remember hearing if they got in trouble for it.
Didn’t this start right after Lockerbie? Seems to me the allegation is that a passenger was given a cassett recorder to carry back to the States by a “friend”. I know that the trial of the alleged bombers is being held now in one of the Low Countries, but I’m too lazy to look it up.
I’m quite sure this is not true.
The reason they were able to find the people who are being tried for it is because the bomb was wrapped in clothing that was available only in one shop in Malta.
The shop keeper remembered the person buying all these clothes, at random, presumably to fill up the suitcase.
As for the trail, it’s being held in the Netherlands under Scotish law.
“Didn’t this start right after Lockerbie? Seems to methe allegation is that a passenger was given a cassett recorder to carry back to the States by a ‘friend’.”
The bomb was clearly disguised as a cassette recorder but it seems that it ended up on the target plane by being transfered with luggage from another plane but with the passenger that checked it onto the first plane not boarding the second (target) plane:
“As is normal in circumstances of this kind, a Fatal Accident Inquiry was held. The Sheriff Principal convening the inquiry like wise had no doubt about the cause of the tragedy. In his findings in fact of February 1991, Sheriff Principal John Mowat Q.C. found that a Semtex-type plastic explosive contained in a Toshiba radio-cassette player in a Samsonite suitcase had been carried by Pan Am from Frankfurt to London Heathrow and then transferred to Flight 103; that this and other inter-line baggage had not been counted, weighed, reconciled with passengers travelling on Flight 103 or x-rayed; and that the cause of all the deaths was the detonation of this device in the left side of the forward hold of the ‘plane. He concluded that ‘the primary cause of the deaths was the criminal act of murder.’”
“I know that the trial of the alleged bombers is being held now in one of the Low Countries, but I’m too lazy to look it up.”
Yep, a rather unusual arrangement whereby a Scottish court applying UK & Scottish law – and sitting as a three-judge panel without a jury – is sitting in the Netherlands to hear just this one case.
A previous poster hit it on the head - they are trying to eliminate denyability (sp?). I have no doubt that if you claim that your bags were out of your control, your bag will be searched. However, at that point you could claim that the offending items were placed there by someone else. But that would be your “last chance” – if your answer indicates that you have been in complete control of your bags since they were packed, and then something is found in them during security checks, xray, etc., you will be held fully responsible.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Diceman *
**Forgive me if I sound like a stupid American, but why the hell don’t they just extradite the suspects to Scotland? **
It was because the Libyan government would not allow the two suspects to be extradited there. Something to do with them not receiving a fair trail, or something along those lines.
It was agreed that the trial would take place in a neutral country.