Another rush to judgement by biggoted americans!

The police officer who cleared the "suspected terrosits" and his computer and shoes should without question be fired from the force...If this is an example of how he handles these types of situations, I do not want to fly out of the airport he patrols...He has no sence of urgency...That passenger should have been retained and questioned by the FBI before being able to start his flight...We are going to let another 9/11 happen again because of people and practices like that police officer...

The name of the employer who fired this man SHOULD BE PUBLISHED.

I think it's SHAMEFUL that a man who was determined to be innocent was fired. They didn't even wait for the authorities to make a conclusion of whether he was a terrorist or not... just 'drop' and that was it.

When that kind of bigotry is just accepted as a footnote... the real terrorists WON, because that's what Islamic Terrorists want... zero trust, zero tolerance between muslims and westerners.

I see the importance of and justification for screening him... it's just that his employer completely lacked ethics or morality. That company should be identified. Please give the name of that company.

The officer should be let go too.

This guy deserves everything he gets and he should be thankful that the loss of his job was the only outcome of this situation. Too bad he didn't think about his pregnant wife before attempting to pull a stunt like this. Come on, who in the world needs a makeshift alarm clock made from a lap top computer that is wired to a battery? I found an RCA alarm clock at walmart.com priced at $14.67. You can afford airfare between Houston and Atlanta but not $14.67 for a decent alarm clock??? No I don't think this guy is a terrorist. He is obviously not smart enough. I just think he wanted to stir the pot to see what he could get away with. Its like someone walking into a bank with a ski mask on, even though their only intention is to deposit a check from grandma. The guy apparently wanted the rush of adrenaline without actually committing a crime. This was as close as he could get.

Is it me, or was this guy completely foolish for creating something that could be easily confused as a bomb? Lets keep the firing a separate issue for now and focus on his foolish actions.

First, I think the TSa people did there job well and should be congratulated. But I agree a company who would fire someone without even waiting for the determination of guilt or innocents is a very unjust employer and should have this advertised so others can avoid doing business with them. The degree to which we all react negatively is the degree the terrorist have won this war. people need to understand that very clearly.

We don't know much more about this situation than what is reported (which isn't much). Better to withold judgment until we know more facts.

It is too bad we only have the screener's version of what happened, but it does appear that the police officer made the right decision and it was the screener that over reacted. The FBI agreed with the officer.

Either this guy is making a practice run for a terrorist group or he is just looking to force a lawsuit. He was just too obvious. And, yeah, that cop needs to be taught a lesson too!

Hmmm...this doesn't seem to be the America I was born in...could it?

The choice, if this guy is a terrorist or just simple, is what they (Terrorist) want to test and see what flies.

Those whole "he got fired" part of the story is very poorly reported. All we have is:

The FBI caught up with the suspect, Bataineh, in Atlanta where he was about to begin work as a truck driver.

"I gave them my computer and answered their questions," Bataineh told ABCNews.com. "A few hours later, I was fired by the company," said Bataineh.

We don't know why he was fired, what the FBI said to the company, etc. Based on what's reported, it's impossible to say whether the company acted responsibly or not.

Typical: The TSA morons are busy hassling people based on some vague profiles (I'm on the "profile" because I'm white, red-haired, travel alone, and don't act all disorganized and dingy), while REAL terrorists and drug mules march right on by their checkpoints.

Hopefully publishing this man's story will get him employed, and soon, the police officer discharged, and the TSA low-wage idiots replaced with fresh idiots.

The cop scares me!

There is something just off with this thing this guy was trying to travel with. I find it hard to feel sorry he got fired.

yeah, its not the same America i was born in either. it never will be. that kind of complacency kills. wake up.

I agree with Sean - this story seems to generate more questions than answers. Let's not rush to judgement.

The officer should be commended for refusing to fall for fear like some of the posters on this thread. LOL!!!! Any of you need your papa Bush?? Spineless!

Another case of bigoted Americans? Which Americans - the screeners or the employer that fired this gentleman?

I think that the TSA acted appropriately. If I had a contraption such as the one described in the story I would expect to be pulled aside for questioning as well - and I'm of Northern European descent. As a traveling salesperson, I've been pulled aside several times to have my sample case checked. That's just the way things go.

However, what if this gentleman was just doing a 'trial run' of security screening with a bigger picture in mind?

I think the officer should be moved to a desk job - put him somewhere purely administrative.

I think the TSA did their job well, the cop...maybe, and the FBI did their job. As for the passenger...I doubt he is a terrorists because I have seen too many innocent people do moronic things in an airport, I think this guy falls into that category. But the employer, that is just wrong. Since when do we condemn a person before the facts are in. The company fired this man "before" the truth came out...then when he was cleared by the FBI, the company did not even give him his job back. That is just wrong, no way around it!

If officer Reese is too busy to respond to the TSA, he needs to be in a new line of work. As for the Jordanian man, come on...if the TSA did not question homemade alarm clock contraptions, they'd not being doing their job--this from the disgruntled, barefoot woman being pat down in all my special places at seemingly every airport I enter. We need more details about the WHY Bataineh was fired...let's start by publishing the name of his former employer!

The days of political correctness need to end. If it looks, walks and talks like a duck we have to call it a duck. The guy got what he deserved by carrying a laptop with a battery taped to it and saying he did not have a laptop.

Terry

Remember Occam's Razor.

I cannot believe racism of this magnitude is taking place in the USA. This country is turning into another Aparteit! Let's think people, how can we call ourselves a democratic society, which values human rights above all else, and allow this sort of inhumane treatment of people to take place on our soil. I hope Mr. Bataineh is going to sue HPD and his ex-employer for this hideous act.

I think that even though this person is not a terrorist and a legal immigrant, with the history of 911 and all of the IED bombings that are going on he put himself in this predictament by walking around with computers, time clocks and shoes, knowing that being of eastern descent will automatically heighten this type of situation. However the employer should not have fired him, but houston police should fire that officer
aew..;;;

This guy must have been looking for trouble. With all the terrorist activity going on in today's world and the way airport security has beefed up since 911, you just have to wonder what was his motivation to attempt to board a plane with something weird or questionable. I think he definitely has some connections to some type of terrorist group. This whole thing sounds very strange and he bears watching. The FBI should keep tabs on him from now on to ensure he is not plotting anything.

ANother rush to judgement? This guy is a native of Jordan. I am sorry but if i am being pulled to the side and checked at the airport then this guy better be checked as well. Call it stereotyping but oh well it is not out fault. rush to judgement? that is hillarious--this guy had an alarm clock connected to a laptopn with shoes running to it. I'm glad he went through this trouble. Maybe next time people will not be so stupid in an airport.

This was a dry run to see how far he could get, obviously to far. Fire the cop, and the airline should pay a fine.

Yes shame on the trucking company who fires the guy who fits the profile of a terrorist, and walks through security with an old laptop with a timer attached to it. Absolutely shame on you let him drive trucks over bridges and park them infront of a busy office building Hello are any of you who think that the airport security or trucking company are wrong from NYC, Washington D.C. or Pennsylvania???? Or maybe you are related to one of the almost 3,000 people who lost their lives on 9/11 because of people carrying pocket knives, guns, and makeshift bombs. People you need to WAKE UP if these airport security didn't stop this guy and he was a terrorist look at the indigent comments you would be writing about how lazy and stupid these people were not to know this guy was a terrorist - he fits the profile and hello a laptop claiming to be an alarm clock.
I agree go to Wal-mart get a wind up alarm clock for $7.00.

Bad choices by the passanger, but no crime committed. Unless there were other issues, he shouldn't have been fired.

The TSA doesn't know who to call if they have a suspect in custody? What kind of operation are they running there?

I hate to say it, but after 4+ years of mindfully packing the fingernail clippers in my checked baggage when flying, I have little sympathy for the guy.

We don't know why he was fired from his job. It seems all are assuming that it was because of this less than smart action. It may have been for good cause, and this was a final straw. Don't jump to conclusions. In today's day and age, anyone who does something like this is at best not too bright.

Why is everyone thinking that the officer should be let go, for determining independently that the gentleman in question posed no threat, and that the whole thing was a false alarm? I should rather applaud his genius, for reaching a CORRECT conclusion rather promptly, a conclusion later verified by the FBI. A second question might be whether or not the airport screeners unnecessarily troubled a poor innocent traveler by not accepting the decision of a trained officer, and vainly pressing charges further. Do we consider it RESPONSIBLE to DISTRUST persons of authority now?

Truly, HPD at it's finest.

Are you people kidding? Did you see what he was trying to get on the plane with? I think the comment re: the ski mask example was right on. Justification of this idiots behavior and condemnation of him being fired for such a ridiculous act are comical and predictable.

Unbelievable! Some of the posts on here are just beyond belief. It shows the level of stupidity among us when there are this many people willing to believe a man made a cheap alarm clock out of an old computer, timer, and battery ... and proceeded to attempt to board a plane. And on top of this, he refused to be searched! What is wrong with you people that you are so blind?! You're just plane drugged!

Thats the problems you run into now post 911. At all costs you have to protect America. Even if you have to stereotype people. Thats the name of the game. You have to look out for number one here, and number 1 is America. Plus, why does he even have a computer like that and weird shoes. Get Real Poeple!!!

I THINK WE SHOULD DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO PREVENT FUTURE ATTACK'S
......... BUT TO LEAVE A MAN THAT WAS CLEARLY INNCENT OR JUST HAVE NO BRAINS AT ALL WITH HIS ACTION
JOBLESS AND FROM WHAT I'M READING HE'S A TERRORIST IN ALMOST EVERY BODY'S MIND ....WELL WE JUST LOST THE ONLY THING THAT AMERICAN'S HAVE
THAT NO BODY ELS IN THIS WORLD HAVE IS FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR ALL

Stephan writes: "But the employer, that is just wrong. Since when do we condemn a person before the facts are in."

Ironic huh? You're condemning the employer before the facts are in. How do we know why the guy got fired?Plus, we are only hearing his side of it and who knows what agenda this guy has.

ON ANOTHER NOTE: There's no implication that people jumped to any conclusions whatsoever. A guy lied or mispoke to a screener and then had a battery wired to a laptop (which he said he didn't have). Where's the racism and profiling? Would it have been racism if a white guy was stopped under these same circumstances? Hell no and it's not in this case. Yes, the guy fit a profile --- a moron with a battery wired to a laptop, who lied to a screener AND was middle easter with bad shoes... it adds up to at least an investigation.

Re PS' comment about "another rush to judgement by biggoted Americans" is typical of the Liberal Left. Hey PS, did you ever think that this guy was possibly transporting his 'laptop/sneaker' contraption to another person to add the finishing touch? Why couldn't he just go out and buy a cheap alarm clock? And to bring a contraption on a plane is just plain dumb; it's no wonder his future employer fired him; if he's stupid enough to bring something like that on a plane, god help the motorists on the highways.

Come ON now... a laptop hooked up to a timer & battery? Short of taping a bunch of road flares around my body, I'm not sure I could even THINK of a better way to set off a false alarm at the airport... and to say you've done so as a make shift alarm clock? I mean, really... you could buy a new one for $10, a used one for about 25 cents... plus, you've got suspicious looking shoes? Not to mention you're a relatively young male of Arab descent with a foreign accent? And don't throw the whole racial profiling thing in my face - because while most Arabs aren't terrorists, most of the Islamic fundamentalist terrorists we're concerned about ARE Arabs. So they definitely should have detained him as they did - and upon realizing it was a mere case of intense stupidity, they should have released him as they did... as to the company firing him though - it may be their right, but that doesn't make it right... but with all the lawsuits and negative media attention these days, I can't totally blame a company for adopting a fire first, ask questions later policy...

Here's a great case of profiling where it IS appropriate. Suppose this guy was simply 'feeling out' the thoroughness of our security by wearing worn out shoes that look like hollowed out shoes, and a computer that looks like a timer device and was to communicate with terrorist leaders about lax security. And he is from Jordan, and he does fit the profile. It was a false positive--I'd rather have more false positives and fewer true positives. HOWEVER, once cleared, he should not have been fired once a background check was run, including looking into his cell phone communications and emails. I'd rather be alive than be politically correct

This guy had every item that a terrorist would have if he was trying to blow up something or hide something. Was he testing the system? Something stinks about this and the FBI needs to investigate this guy further or watch him closely.

"should have called the bomb squad" ??? First of all its every American's duty to protect our country. He should have taken full responsibility for what he signed up for, to SERVE AND PROTECT. Which I believe would put him step above the common American's duties. TSA sounds like they have a good system in place except the fault of who to contact in the event of a bomb threat. I know this guy is getting raked over the coals, but he shouldn't be a police officer if he's a) not stopping a threat from getting on the plane, and b) blaming TSA for his screw ups. Fire the rent-a-cop, and give the Jordanian his job back so he can feed his family.

Listen, this guy and the police officer sound like clowns. For those out there screaming bigotry think again. It is because of all those saying lets be nice and not think badly of people that we are in the situation we are in. When will you people learn that most countries hate America and Americans. Take it from someone who just retired with 30 years in the Army and has been in many of these so called "nice poeple" countries to include 15 months in Iraq. If Americans don't start standing up for America then we will fall as a country. God Bless the USA.

I find it odd that anyone can honestly believe that they should be allowed to board an airliner with anything that could be used as, or might look anything like a weapon. If you need to take it with you, check it in your checked baggage. If you think it might look suspicious, then declare it, ask that it be examined and provide an explanation. If you can't do that, then expect to be arrested, detained, or otherwise inconvenienced. What's more, expect that everyone in line, waiting to board or on your flight will be inconvenienced as well. Anyone that can’t display simple common courtesy to everyone who might be inconvenienced should be barred from flying period. Make a fuss, cause a disturbance, act stupid or otherwise cause problems that could be avoided, and expect to never fly again. How hard is that?

Now for the real issue that perhaps is being overlooked. Terrorists have learned that they have to plan and test their plans. They need to know what can get past the screeners. They need to establish procedures for making their plan work. It doesn’t take much thinking to realize that if you do things in small increments, your limits can be realized without raising a lot of suspicion. If the laptop with a timer got through without raising suspicion, then the next step would be easy…just add explosives. The explosives could be hidden on a person, probably not detected at all, unless they swab the individual or pass them through a full body sniffer. Other components could have been brought aboard the aircraft by an accomplice. Trial attempts may be performed by lone individuals, but as history has shown, these terrorists rarely work alone.

Why anyone is allowed to carry on anything that isn’t absolutely necessary, is beyond me. Sure, it is nice to be able to work at your laptop while you fly, but given this latest event, perhaps it should not be allowed. Restrict carryon to personal items such as a watch, comb, handkerchief, purse items, medication, medically required items and force all other items to be checked. I have seen people carry on enough luggage to outfit three people for a week. Enough already. We as Americans are spoiled. In some countries, you don’t even know the exact time your flight departs, or what gate it will leave from until a few minutes before departure. Airline flight is for getting from point A to point B. The airlines developed the idea of well a informed, pleasurable experience as a way to sell tickets. Now that we have to worry about being blown up in flight, reality needs a good check here.

Bataineh should have been detained by the police or the FBI, Home Land Security or someone responsible for airline security. He should have been detained until a complete investigation had been completed. He should have never been allowed on the aircraft. More importantly, the laptop should have never made it on the aircraft.

I find it distasteful that the guy mentioned his wife and child. Not only his wife and child, but his "pregnant wife" and "small child." Who is he trying to garner sympathy from, the country in which he was holding illegal residence? There are plenty of unemployed taxpayers with pregnant wives and small children out there. Maybe one will get the job he was fired from.

This guy may have been fired for something completely unrelated to his idiot actions. We need to start putting America first. Too many times we try to do the 'politically correct' thing and get kicked in the shins. By the way, you still don't see the refugees running away from America - the road's still one-way in, but once in too many immigrants expect us to conform to their standards.

this is ridiculous. the TSA (one of the most inept government agencies in our entire history) screws up yet again, and the houston police officer and airline passenger victim get blamed.

will someone put an end to this madness and reform the TSA (or completely replace the agency with something else?)

my fiancee's bag was held and scrutinized for 24 hours during a recent trip to san jose to visit my parents. she was carrying art supplies, and checked the bag (not a carry-on).

THE TSA IS DYSFUNCTIONAL AND USELESS TO THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION!

thank you

Explain to me WHY racial discrimination at airports is wrong? Weren't all 19 men who committed 9-11 Saudi's? 20's or 30's in age? Cmon - some ACLU "whacko" or liberal will surely come to his defense .. don't feel too sorry for him! When another 9-11 happens don't tell me .. I didn't tell you so!

There are very simple questions here that still has not been answered. What was this person doing in Houston? And how, if he was so broke, could he afford an air ticket? He must've been able to afford the trip to Houston, right?

We shouldn't rush to judgement as there are many unanswered questions...they should've never let him board the plane. Someone said it earlier...this feels like a test run.

If this guy was this stupid enough to think his "alarm clock" wouldnt be questioned then he gets what he deserves.An alarm clock costs under 10.00$ at walmart,probably less at a goodwill or dollar store.And I think the "Now how will I feed my little daughter and pregnant wife" was laying it on a little thick.The ACLU will have a field day making the nation feel like garbage about this one.

Worst case scenario: Mr. Bataineh had terrorist motives.
Best case scenario: Mr. Bataineh is, to put it bluntly, stupid.
In bringing a laptop wired to an alarm clock onto a plane this man is clearly guilty of one of these two crimes. Either way, there is no way I would employ a man of such poor judgement nor would I want him driving a large truck on our roads where his mental deficiencies could get someone killed. His former employer did the right thing in firing him. Anyone who disagrees should ask themselves why political correctness is more important to them than human life.

Dry run-maybe,idiocy -definitely travelling while wearing worn outshoes - questionable?
Kudos the the screener and absolutely thumbs down to the police officer
Brian

Okay look the guy is an idiot for attempting the stunt. Second the cop is an idiot for dropping the ball. Third the screeners did their job and deserve accolades. When I flew from Detroit to Atlanta, they checked bags, took my toenail clippers which hung on my keyring because it could be used as a weapon, took my lighter for my cigarettes (bad habit). I did not complain because I understand security is intense, but this guy a classic example of pure stupidity. If you don't believe me go to your local bank, carry a water gun that looks like a real gun and set it down on the counter in front of the teller. Whatever happens after that is entirely your fault because you are STUPID. When the cops get there you will still go to jail even if the gun isn't real so as far as I'm concerned the guy got off easy.

I find it very interesting that even in the face of something that easily could have been another terrorist attack, our collective reaction appears to be typically American. Despite all the questionable things this guy did, many of the people responding have indicated they think the guy didn't get a fair shake from his employer, and the cop needed to be punished or fired, etc. Even though we have seen up close what terrorists can do, we still really can't get our minds into the terrorist alert mode.

As one person previously pointed out, Americans are hated all around the world. Part of that is because we are so arrogant and project the "why can't you speak English?" attitude on everyone, even when it is THEIR country and we should be the ones learning THEIR language! But another, deeper reason is the jealousy and envy of the abundant blessings available in this country. We cannot, and we should not, forget the sacrafices that so many before us have made in order for us to even have the freedom to be on this site, stating our thoughts freely. We must protect our country and the future of America from the jealousy and hatred that threatens outside and inside.

In many places around the world, that gentleman would have been shot first, and then, if anyone had the time or interest, his innocence, or lack thereof, would have been determined. I am not advocating similar action on our part. However, I do think that ANYONE who walks into a public building, airport, government building, monument, etc., and is carrying a laptop, wired to something, and is wearing questionable attire (on their feet or elsewhere) needs to detained, investigated, and dealt with, including being banned from all airport access. My grandmother always said, "if you act like a lunatic; don't expect to be called anything but a lunatic."

You should be more concerned that according to the airport closed-camera shot of this guy that everything you do, increasingly everywhere, is being monitored.

Everyone needs to stop jumping to conclusions about the employer firing him. This could be one of MANY times he was late getting to work. If he truly is "innocent", they could be fed up with his inedptitude at his job. Because if he is so stupid to have done what he claims was innocent, how intelligently could he have been performing his job? It doesn't matter what race, nationality, sex he is. What he did amounts to stupidity. Any employer has a right to let someone go for various reasons.

Don't judge his termination on the simple words "A few hours later, I was fired by the company". They could have been set to fire him regardless of his actions. Alot of people get fired every day and are not detained at airports and profiled by the FBI.

There is really very little here that anybody did wrong. TSA correctly stopped a passenger with a suspicious device. They should have called the bomb-squad if they thought it was a bomb. I agree with the police officer on that account. However, the officer examined the situation and made a decision based on his experience that this person was not a threat. That is what he is supposed to do. He found no reason to immediately detain the man based on the evidence. The FBI later confirmed that the decision was the correct one. As for the individual, I don't know the specific details of the encounter with TSA inspector. If he misrepresented the item he was carrying, that was wrong. However, it is not reason to lock him away in Guantanamo as some here would seem to suggest. Remember, the Constitution granting us the presumption of innocence until proven guilty was written during a pretty troubled time of our nation's history. The fact that the authors of that great document had the wisdom to deny themselves the power to lock people up indefinitely without proof of guilt and a fair trial (even in the aftermath of a full-scale war on our own turf) says a lot about he differences in character between our founding fathers and the present administration.

Dear Wakeup: WAKE-UP! If you own a vehicle with GPS, OnStar, etc., you are being tracked even in your car. And now people are putting microchips in their children, to be used in the event they are kidnapped. Imagine the use the government could make of that technology. Your vehicle is on camera on the highway, being tracked for speeding; your picture is part of your ATM transaction; you're on the tape at the 7-11; every call you make or receive can be documented.... do I really need to go on? You need to face the reality of the world we are living in today. I'm not saying I like it any more than you do, but if filming millions of non-terrorists produces ONE TERRORIST, I vote for taking all the pictures they want. I'm not doing anything I need to hide anyway ....

The issue here has nothing to do with whether or not his picture should have been taken.

Were the screeners clear when they asked if he had a laptop? I do about 20 flights per year, yet sometimes find myself getting the same instructions yelled at me in the same words in the same unclear accent. So allow that he travels less often, maybe he simply misheard. But...

A laptop weighs 6 pounds. A $5 travel alarm, which doesn't take up much space in a carry-on or a truck cab, weighs a few ounces. Something is fishy about this guy.

Yeah the trucking company should rehire him and let him haul a trailer with a huge LNG tank

As a past Nerd who would take my old Radio Shack computer and do stupid things with it to see if it can be done, I can relate to this guy.

And for you people who are judging what he did with his laptop and why would he do something so stupid to connect it to a alarm clock (or what ever) doesn't understand the curious mind. It's this type of curiosity which have the potential of becoming the "Bill Gates" or "Steve Wozniak" or whoever.

As G. Gordon Liddy said - This used to be a free country when I was a boy....

I have had my run-ins with TSA (Twits Standing Around or They Steal Anything). I am on 4-10 flights a week. Once I missed a flight because some genius at TSA would not take my passport - they wanted to see REAL identification - like a driver's license. All I had on me was my Passport (US)...I had to go thru 2 levels of mismanagement to finally be allowed on a plane. Missed the flight and most of my connections. So I had to go though the whole thing all over - and the same thing occurred. After being severely gate groped and interrogated I finally made it to my flight....BTW - the airport was DSM (DeMoine IA)....

There is a reason our forefathers created the second amendment - to guard against a tyrannical government. I fear the current government far more than any terrorist. I find it appalling that the sheep-people allow this to continue.

"Those who give up necessary liberty for security deserve neither" paraphrased from Ben Franklin....

#1, I understand THERE IS A PROFILE THAT FITS THE 9/11 ATTACK PERSONNEL. Arabic. So,people will be cautious of Arabic people in airports. But, lest you all forget. 9/11 WAS AN ACT OF WAR, and it was a long time coming. Had Bush not been elected, it may have never happened. But, now we have a terrorist in our White House, according to the rest of the world, and all Americans are under suspicion outside of America.

I do not buy into the reasoning that this man's curious mind and inventive nature led him to develop an alarm clock out of a lap top computer. By that logic one could also walk into a bank with a ski mask and when people begin to react one can simply pass it off as having eclectic fashion taste. There are some things you DON'T do: Entering an airport with an instrument that could be construed as an explosive device is one of them.

Secondly, if one is intelligent enough to make an alarm clock from batteries and an old lap top, one is also intelligent enough to not bring it to the airport.

What this guy did was wrong. He knew when he woke up that morning that bringing a device as such would cause pandimonium at the airport. Ladies and Gentlemen this is how one gets their 15 minutes of fame. He made it to the pages of the Houston Chronicle, ABCNEWS, ABCNEWS.COM and now has received over 66 blogged entries. He knew that since it wasn't an actual bomb that nothing could be done. What he probably didn't think about was the possible loss of his job. We forget that a job is a privilege, not a right. When the FBI snoopes around your place of employment and begins asking questions about you, you can bet your last paycheck that your relationship with your employer is now over. Most companies would rather pay severance or unemployment than deal with a person that is perceived to be a security risk and therefor a threat to the company, its employees, its customers, its vendors, and its property.

The TSA doesn't know what they're doing. Do you see the screener's in the airport, they are not highly trained federal specialists. These are the same people who were confused by a test pattern on an x-ray machine (at least the test pattern worked).

Been in te country 12 years and
cant afford a pair of shoes ?

Flea market Laptop alarm clock ?

Get real, this guy is either
fishing for attention or is not
playing with a full deck.

I think our reaction to this non-story is a frightening indication of just how parnoid we have become. I completely understand taking every precaution and pulling anyone aside for questioning who acts at all quirky. I understand and agree with terrorist profiling, including country of origin, etc. But what I do NOT approve is how all of us are capable of CONVICTING and CONDEMNING a guy based on WHAT? A BATTERY. TAPED TO AN ALARM CLOCK. AND SOME WORN OUT SHOES. SO-THE-HECK-WHAT?? It has already been reported that his shoes were not hollowed out, but rather worn out and had insoles removed. This is like...I don't know...Animal Farm...or that book where the village stones people to death at random. Pure hysteria. Everyone keeps pointing out the alarm clock and battery...alarm clock and battery...for crying out loud, people..can somebody PLEASE explain to me -- WHAT IS SO SIGNIFICANT ABOUT AN ALARM CLOCK AND A BATTERY!? I will give 100 bucks to the first person whose name is not McGyver and who can coherently explain HOW it is even POSSIBLE to construct a bomb with an alarm clock and a battery??? Hmmmm??? People are going absolutely insane -- alarm clocks and batteries are cheap props used on bad television shows...AND NOTHING MORE. You people are so mindnumbed by watching your 5 hours a day of crappy television programs that you have lost your objectivity. A laptop has a battery -- if the guy was going to construct a bomb with a battery, why wouldn't he use THAT battery? And what is the significance of taping it to the clock? Can someone please explain how taping a battery to a clock poses an explosive threat?? At least if it were IN the clock it could complete a circuit.

Just stop for one moment to get your head on straight and consider the facts -- not your paranoid and elaborate, fanciful imaginations constructed from years of mind-numbing television plots. The man has been here LEGALLY for 12 years. The man had an alarm clock. A battery was taped to it. The man had worn out shoes (imagine that -- a poor immigrant who doesn't have brand new Nike Airs or Allen Richmond dress shoes). The man of foreign tongue wrongly answered the question, possibly out of fear or misunderstanding or language difficulties,about whether he had a common consumer item -- a laptop. NO explosives were found on his person. there is NO way to piece together the items in his possession to create a bomb. Further stop to consider how this might have impacted the man. I know all of you here are convinced this man was a terrorist, but stop to consider that he was one of the MANY, MANY legal immigrants who come to this great land for all its opportunity, and the man works hard for his family and his livelihood, the man is going to work a job where he can earn money to pay his bills, feed his wife and kid, and yes, perhaps, even buy himself a new pair of shoes eventually. And now he is stuck in a land where everyone automatically assumes he is guilty, and everyone has already condemned him....how would you cope in that situation?

Quote: The man has been here LEGALLY for 12 years. The man had an alarm clock. A battery was taped to it. The man had worn out shoes (imagine that -- a poor immigrant who doesn't have brand new Nike Airs or Allen Richmond dress shoes). The man of foreign tongue wrongly answered the question, possibly out of fear or misunderstanding or language difficulties,about whether he had a common consumer item -- a laptop. NO explosives were found on his person. there is NO way to piece together the items in his possession to create a bomb. Quote

With the timing mechanism at hand all he needed was a simple ignitor and the truck he would be driving at his new job to create a big hole where thousands had lived.

12 years in the country doesnt make him a loyal citizen, some of the terrorists and potential terrorists are native born citizens. Some are just idiotic radicals like some others that respond to threads like this.

What is really scary about this report is the complaceny of the police officer. It is clear that the TSA screeners were doing their job. A middle eastern male, traveling alone, with a jury-rigged electronic device with wires and stuff protruding should set off all kinds of alarms. The police officer obviously believes that his "airport" detail is keeping him from really important work, catching hookers and pulling over old ladies for speeding.