Airport Security Delays Former Afghan Leader

A former president of Afghanistan was removed from a transatlantic flight when security screeners mistakenly interpreted a comment he made as a threat.

Sibghatullah Mojaddedi was pulled out of a boarding line Friday for a Virgin Atlantic flight from Orlando to London for a baggage search, FBI agent Wendy Evans said. Mojaddedi assumed he was singled out because he was wearing traditional Afghan clothing.

Airport security screeners said they heard him mention an Islamic liberation organization and say, “I know you’re looking for a bomb.”

The comments were made in English but misinterpreted by the screeners, neither of whom spoke English as a first language, Evans said.

The airline rebooked him in first class on a Saturday flight, airline spokesman John Riordan said. “Post 9/11, everybody is being extra vigilant, and sometimes things get misconstrued,” Riordan said.