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U.N. Trouble: Ambassador Blasts Secret Service Treatment

October 04, 2007 8:50 AM

Untroubleamba_mn An Egyptian ambassador says a U.S. Secret Service agent called him a "militant" and threatened to arrest him when he and an associate tried to cross a barricaded New York City street.

The agent told Maged Abdelaziz, Egyptian ambassador to the United Nations, that "the Islamic nature of the Ambassador's name" was a reason to arrest him, according to a letter of complaint the Egyptian U.N. mission transmitted to State Department officials.

According to the sternly-worded letter, Abdelaziz and a member of his delegation were stopped by a Secret Service agent when they were forced to cross 44th Street on Sept. 26. The sidewalk they had been walking on was closed as a security precaution for a visiting head of state.

THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS

After producing his U.N. identification, the ambassador explained to the agent he was in a rush, the letter states. At that point, the agent called him a "militant" and told the ambassador and his associate they were "under arrest for ID check," according to the letter.

The Egyptian mission "protests in the strongest possible terms the inappropriate behavior of the said Secret Service agent," it wrote in its letter to the U.S. mission dated Sept. 28, "and requests that the [United States] take its necessary corrective measures in ensuring that the diplomats of this Mission be treated with dignity and respect in accordance with the relevant rules of law."

A spokesperson for the Egyptian mission was unaware of any response from the United States to the protest and directed all other questions to the U.S. mission office. The United States mission to the U.N. referred questions to the Secret Service. The Secret Service declined to comment on the matter.

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October 4, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (25)

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What a concept...bush and the secretive service adhering to the RULE OF LAW???? Shocking Middle Eastern concept I presume...

Posted by: daddy | Oct 4, 2007 9:40:56 AM

Well, I can't help but wonder what would happen in Egypt. Egypt, you know, who supports the militants in the Dafar region of Sudan, who is one of the largest areas of the practice of female circumcision. Maybe they should be glad they were allowed to walk on the streets of NYC at all.

Posted by: Theresa | Oct 4, 2007 1:53:16 PM

So move the UN to Cairo...

Posted by: Ozzy Ozbent | Oct 5, 2007 10:02:53 AM

I hope they fired the agent. It's only the right thing to do.

Posted by: kenny | Oct 6, 2007 3:03:50 PM

Kenny - I guess we'll just take the word of the Egyptians over the US State Dept, Secret Service, NYPD and the NY Mayor's Office - not to mention the Egyptian press.

Posted by: greg | Oct 6, 2007 4:47:16 PM

Kenny - I guess you are not concerned with the fact that the US State Dept, NYC Mayor's Office, Secret Service and NYC Police Dept say this guy spit on a cop and threw a bike rack.

Posted by: gregt101010 | Oct 6, 2007 5:26:06 PM

gregt101010, it doesn't say that.

Posted by: john | Oct 6, 2007 6:21:13 PM

Look at the newsmax article. Quotes from State Dept, NYPD officials and the NYC Mayor's office. Imagine that.

Posted by: gregt101010 | Oct 6, 2007 7:39:36 PM

john - why are the US State Dept and the Mayor's Office saying this guy moved a barricade to cross where he wasn't supposed to cross, "threw" the bike rack after being denied access, then spit at the agent? I guess you just chose not to read that part.

Posted by: gregt101010 | Oct 6, 2007 7:52:22 PM

john - that's exactly what it says in the other article, which actually quotes State Dept, NYC Mayor's Office, and NYPD. You are obviously, like kenny, a person that always takes the side against law enforcement.

Posted by: gregt101010 | Oct 6, 2007 9:19:17 PM

i wonder why the U.N. is situated in the u.s.a. bush doesn`t even respect the U.N. THE U.N. should move to a neutral country.

Posted by: joey | Oct 7, 2007 3:37:32 PM

Fire that agent if his actions - after investigation - shows that he did not conduct himself properly according to standard rule of conduct. If there is another side to this story to be reported as hinted at by some commente here, by all means ABC, please report it!

Posted by: Rick_VT | Oct 7, 2007 6:48:37 PM

Rick - well said. That's the thing, though. A preliminary investigation already cleared both the agent and NYPD, stating they "acted total professional." ABC just chose to print one side of he story b/c it makes better news, I guess. The NewsMax article actually quotes reliable sources - State Dept, NYPD and NYC Mayor's office.

Posted by: gregt101010 | Oct 7, 2007 7:07:42 PM

His statement wasn’t an opinion I don’t believe the man was shocked but just calmly comparing treatment elsewhere to a silent audience outside the USA.

Posted by: Paul Belair | Oct 8, 2007 8:52:31 AM

If they don't keep some kind of order up there in New York, they'll have skateboarder cyclists with kids getting hurt and everything else!

Grandpa
Livingston, TN

Posted by: freebeaker | Oct 8, 2007 8:58:44 AM

If somebody spit on me and had a temper tantrum because of a barricaded street I'd arrest them too. When you're in the U.S you need to obey our laws.

Posted by: BTL musings | Oct 8, 2007 4:07:19 PM

who cares!

Posted by: brian | Oct 9, 2007 9:51:21 AM

Evil secret service! Evil!

Posted by: gUESS | Oct 9, 2007 2:23:57 PM

The secret service agent handled this perfectly.

Posted by: bsands | Oct 10, 2007 10:05:10 AM

Too many of you need to get a clue. Perhaps the Egyptian police should extend the same courtesy to the US Ambassador in Cairo. I am sure all you " Joe Six-Packs" will have plenty to complain about then.

Posted by: Nancy | Oct 14, 2007 3:13:00 PM

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