Thanks to a last-minute look by Emirates at the plane’s manifest, terror suspect Faisal Shahzad’s named popped up, after having been added shortly after 12:00 noon on Monday, shortly before the flight was due to take off from New York’s Kennedy airport.
The Department of Homeland Security has been requiring airlines to check the no-fly list every 24 hours, which in this case, would have proved insufficient to identify Shahzad, who was already on board the plane. Upon being notified by Emirates, US Customs and Border Protection officials had the aricraft doors re-opened so they could take Shahzad off the flight and into custody.
Because of this incident, the Obama administration is now requiring carriers to check the no-fly list within two hours of being notified of changes.
Shahzad, a US citizen from Pakistan, has been charged with terrorism and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. He is accused of rigging an SUV with a homemade bomb and driving it Saturday into Times Square, where he tried to detonate the device.
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- The Department of Homeland Security has been requiring airlines to check the no-fly list every 24 hours, which in this case, would have proved insufficient to identify Shahzad, who was already on board the plane.
- He is accused of rigging an SUV with a homemade bomb and driving it Saturday into Times Square, where he tried to detonate the device.
- Because of this incident, the Obama administration is now requiring carriers to check the no-fly list within two hours of being notified of changes.
