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U.N. Trouble: Ambassador Blasts Secret Service Treatment
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ShareOctober 04, 2007 8:50 AM
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.
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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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Nancy, You make me Proud. At least I know some people do have brains, and understand the laws. thanks and remember the only weapon to fight ignorance and Terrorism and poverty is Education.
Posted by: Adeeb N. | Oct 18, 2007 11:45:58 PM
He desrved to be arrested, he knew the street was closed but with the arrogance of having diplomatic imunity just ignored what was going on. They did the right thing checking him, word gets around that u can flash an I.D. and get away with things.
Posted by: Anthony | Oct 23, 2007 9:55:40 AM
Anthony, i'm glad that you mentioned diplomatic immunity. Try and read all articles of the vienna convention of 1968 of the UNESC. What im trying to say is that under the UN counsil treaty, he had every right to move the barricade because he was not on a U.S but on a UN Diplomatic mission. The law enforcement had no diplomatic rights to treat him in that manner, however it was left for the US DEPT of State to handle that issue of public menace.
Posted by: manny | Jan 29, 2008 3:43:40 PM
Manny - You are 100% INCORRECT. Diplomatic immunity DOES NOT allow a diplomat to move official police barricades or interfere with official police business just because he is a diplomat. He received immunity in this case as the average citizen who acted this way would immediately be arrested, but this guy was sent on his way. His immunity does not give him the right to act anyway he desires. According to your logic, a diplomat can simply walk into a crime scene investigation or any other place where he isn't authorized to be under the guise of "being on an official UN diplomatic mission." That is absurd.
As far as your statement, "law enforcement had no diplomatic rights to treat him in this manner", YOU ARE WRONG. Law enforcement has EVERY right to prevent access into a restricted area to those not authorized to be in that area. Yes, even diplomats. Again, a US citizen would have certainly been arrested if they behaved in this manner. It's obvious by your spelling of "counsil" that you are a foreigner, so it's easy to understand why you are so quick to defend another foreigner and blame the evil Americans, but your facts are completely wrong and you need to understand that law enforcement in America is not afraid of idiots like this guy. I'm certain his behavior would have been acceptable in Egypt, but not here. These people acted 100% in the right.
By the way, you're defending a guy who spit at a Secret Service agent (read the NewsMax and NY Post articles). Really diplomatic behavior, huh?
Posted by: plttltn | Feb 22, 2008 6:26:15 PM
Don't always believe what you read. No U.S. Secret Service Agent would ever behave like that.
Posted by: Mike | Sep 16, 2008 1:21:53 PM
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