Did you go through Paris a few days ago? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

denim · 12-08-2004, 06:31 PM

Quote:

A police exercise with the stuff of mystery
Q: Where’s the blue suitcase with explosives inside? A: ??

Francois Mori / AP

The Associated Press
Updated: 5:38 p.m. ET Dec. 7, 2004

PARIS - Somewhere in the world, there’s a navy blue suitcase with a small pack of explosives tucked in its side pocket.

Four days after police at Charles de Gaulle Airport slipped some plastic explosives into a random passenger’s bag as part of an exercise for sniffer dogs, it is still missing — and authorities are stumped and embarrassed.

Police have sought to minimize public concern by insisting there’s nothing to worry about: The explosives had no detonator and are unlikely to pose a danger.

But that does little to diminish the fact that the French airport security has been planting explosives in the suitcases of unsuspecting passengers — all in the name of safety.

“That’s pretty scary,” said Chadi Kawkabani, an American tourist wheeling his suitcase along the Champs-Elysees on Tuesday before heading to the airport.

“I picture myself opening my bag at home,” said Kawkabani, a marketing director from Boston. “You might think terrorists planted the explosive — and they could come to your house to get it back!”

“Imagine getting caught at your arrival,” said Laurence Grassiet, a 32-year-old Parisian hair stylist. “You’d be in for a hard time!”

Any one of 100 flights
Authorities believe the suitcase left Paris between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday and could have wound up on any of about 100 flights.

“There were flights that went to the United States, to Japan, South America,” said police spokesman Pierre Bouquin. “Basically, it could have gone anywhere — to the four corners of the world.”

Authorities at airports in New York and Los Angeles launched a fruitless search for the suitcase after French aviation officials issued a global alert to be on the lookout for the bag.

The training exercise was aimed at providing sniffer dogs a real-life airport scenario — a technique that has been used for years, said Bouquin.

Blame, in this case, cannot be placed on the dogs.

Two police officers involved in the exercise stashed a cell-phone sized pack of plastic explosives into the side pocket of the navy blue suitcase as it rolled along a conveyer belt.

One dog successfully identified the bag, but police then lost track of it when they went to fetch a second dog for the exercise.

“That’s how the explosives disappeared,” said Bouquin, noting that police have not lost hope of retrieving the explosives — someday.

“Sometimes, side pockets don’t get unpacked immediately. Maybe the person who has this product will find it in the future.”

Clouseau on the case?
For France’s high-minded Le Monde newspaper, the mishap rings of Inspector Clouseau, the bungling, fictional French detective of “Pink Panther” fame.

“Inspector Clouseau works the weekend at (Charles de Gaulle),” was the headline of a story in Le Monde’s Tuesday edition.

“The cause of this planetary search is both strange and comical,” the newspaper said. “We warmly congratulate the sniffer dog brigade ... for this remarkable exploit: having succeeded in placing an explosive on a departing plane.”

Police quickly ordered a halt to the practice, assuring that dogs would stop using real luggage for practice. Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin said the incident was “totally reprehensible and scandalous” and vowed that punishment would be doled out accordingly.

The officers behind the mix-up have been subject to a “disciplinary procedure,” said Bouquin, declining to elaborate.

Paris’ airport authority, meanwhile, has sought to distance itself from the mishap.

“It’s true that it’s astonishing,” said Corinne Bokobza, spokeswoman for Aeroports de Paris. “But we don’t know about all the practices carried out by the police.”

As for lost bags, they tend to turn up “pretty quickly,” she said, generally within a week.

But that’s when the bag is ticketed and traceable through the computer system. Finding a navy blue suitcase lost somewhere in the wide world, she said, “could take a while.”

I found that pointed to in an ADD newsgroup, with the poster suggesting the police had an ADHD moment.

optik_nerve · 12-08-2004, 06:40 PM

Sounds like something the French would do...

Dirty · 12-08-2004, 07:03 PM

French people do some crazy things. But so does everyone else.

Carno · 12-08-2004, 07:11 PM

I woud love to find the explosives in my bag.. I'd try and sell that shit when I got home.

Rlyss · 12-08-2004, 08:04 PM

I wonder what would happen if you were the unlucky sod who had the bomb planted, and then got caught at your destination's airport? Even though there would be proof that you didn't mean to bring them in, would there be a punishment for not being vigilant? They don't normally accept being framed as an excuse because there's no way to prove it. I wonder what a place like Indonesia would do?

MSD · 12-08-2004, 10:01 PM

I'd call up the DHS and ask if they wanted me to drive it back or if they would come pick it up. I don't think they'd find it funny, but at least I'd get some cool pictures of bomb squad trucks and feds lining my street. I didn't have a camera on me last time it happened (substitute SWAT trucks for bomb squad.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rlyss

I wonder what would happen if you were the unlucky sod who had the bomb planted, and then got caught at your destination's airport? Even though there would be proof that you didn't mean to bring them in, would there be a punishment for not being vigilant? They don't normally accept being framed as an excuse because there's no way to prove it. I wonder what a place like Indonesia would do?

Chop off head first, ask questions later? (I'm pretty sure I heard about Indonesia beheading terrorism suspects, if I'm wrong, correct me)

whocarz · 12-08-2004, 11:31 PM

What a wonderful idea! Let's put REAL explosives in some random sod's luggage, then fuck it up and not get said explosives back. After that, let's make it public knowledge that you can slip explosives past our airport security! I love it.

Fire · 12-09-2004, 09:09 PM

that is some fucked up shit there- and how much would it suck to get caught after their fuck up- I see a helluva law suit, and in this case its not frivoulous- put explosives in some poor sob's bag and make him a millionaire maybe?

JumpinJesus · 12-10-2004, 05:48 PM

The inspector's name wasn't Clouseau, was it?

denim · 12-10-2004, 08:12 PM

Read the article.

AquaFox · 12-10-2004, 10:18 PM

i promise, if i were to find a stick of explosives in my baggage... i would go strait to an empty feild and blow something up with it as soon as i could and the denied i ever had it

The Prophet · 12-11-2004, 04:54 AM

Tell me this is bull shit. Please, tell me this is bull shit!

Somewhere, some poor bastard is sitting in some third world country, in a cold damp cell, or worse - getting his finger nails ripped out, or even worse yet - already dead - because he got off a plane from Paris with explosives in his suitcase that he didn't even know he had!

denim · 12-11-2004, 07:27 AM

It's bullshit, but it's not untrue. How's that?

Soggybagel · 12-11-2004, 11:57 AM

Hahaha, wow How horrible would it be to be detained on the way home?!

eyeronic · 12-11-2004, 11:58 AM

That is hysterical. I like how they said that without a detonator it is harmless, but we can't use cell phones in gas stations.

rat · 12-11-2004, 01:14 PM

this is just another lesson how this "in the name of safety" hysteria gripping the West has caused more problems than it has ever solved. safety is an illusion, and frankly, does not exist. this just proves it.

DDDDave · 12-11-2004, 03:17 PM

Damn, I thought this was going to be a NSFW thread about Paris Hilton.

ICER · 12-12-2004, 04:31 PM

You mean to tell me that the french police cannot afford to buy it's own luggage for this sort of pratice?

Going through my bag is bad enough. But placeing a bomb in there...yeeesh

12-08-2004, 11:31 PM	#7 (permalink)
whocarz Jarhead Location: Colorado	What a wonderful idea! Let's put REAL explosives in some random sod's luggage, then fuck it up and not get said explosives back. After that, let's make it public knowledge that you can slip explosives past our airport security! I love it. __________________ If there exists anything mightier than destiny, then it is the courage to face destiny unflinchingly. -Geibel Despise not death, but welcome it, for nature wills it like all else. -Marcus Aurelius Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever? -GySgt. Daniel J. "Dan" Daly

12-09-2004, 09:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
Fire Warrior Smith Location: missouri	that is some fucked up shit there- and how much would it suck to get caught after their fuck up- I see a helluva law suit, and in this case its not frivoulous- put explosives in some poor sob's bag and make him a millionaire maybe? __________________ Thought the harder, Heart the bolder, Mood the more as our might lessens

12-10-2004, 05:48 PM	#9 (permalink)
JumpinJesus Junkie Location: Chicago	The inspector's name wasn't Clouseau, was it? __________________ "I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses

12-10-2004, 10:18 PM	#11 (permalink)
AquaFox WaterDog	i promise, if i were to find a stick of explosives in my baggage... i would go strait to an empty feild and blow something up with it as soon as i could and the denied i ever had it __________________ ...AquaFox...

12-11-2004, 04:54 AM	#12 (permalink)
The Prophet Tilted Location: Space, the final frontier.	Tell me this is bull shit. Please, tell me this is bull shit! Somewhere, some poor bastard is sitting in some third world country, in a cold damp cell, or worse - getting his finger nails ripped out, or even worse yet - already dead - because he got off a plane from Paris with explosives in his suitcase that he didn't even know he had! __________________ "The death-knell of the republic had rung as soon as the active power became lodged in the hands of those who sought, not to do justice to all citizens, rich and poor alike, but to stand for one special class and for its interests as opposed to the interests of others. " - Theodore Roosevelt

12-08-2004, 06:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
optik_nerve Psycho Location: Florida	Sounds like something the French would do...

12-08-2004, 07:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
Dirty Tilted Location: AR	French people do some crazy things. But so does everyone else.

12-08-2004, 07:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
Carno Junkie	I woud love to find the explosives in my bag.. I'd try and sell that shit when I got home.

12-08-2004, 08:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
Rlyss The Pusher Location: Edinburgh	I wonder what would happen if you were the unlucky sod who had the bomb planted, and then got caught at your destination's airport? Even though there would be proof that you didn't mean to bring them in, would there be a punishment for not being vigilant? They don't normally accept being framed as an excuse because there's no way to prove it. I wonder what a place like Indonesia would do?

12-10-2004, 08:12 PM	#10 (permalink)
denim Banned Location: Massachusetts, USA	Read the article.

12-11-2004, 07:27 AM	#13 (permalink)
denim Banned Location: Massachusetts, USA	It's bullshit, but it's not untrue. How's that?

12-11-2004, 11:57 AM	#14 (permalink)
Soggybagel Psycho Location: Lovely City #1	Hahaha, wow How horrible would it be to be detained on the way home?!

12-11-2004, 11:58 AM	#15 (permalink)
eyeronic I run E. Location: New York	That is hysterical. I like how they said that without a detonator it is harmless, but we can't use cell phones in gas stations. __________________ I hold with those that favor fire.

12-11-2004, 03:17 PM	#17 (permalink)
DDDDave Addict Location: Sarasota	Damn, I thought this was going to be a NSFW thread about Paris Hilton. __________________ I am just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe... "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." - Thoreau "Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm" - Emerson

12-12-2004, 04:31 PM	#18 (permalink)
ICER Chilled to Perfection Location: Dallas, TX	You mean to tell me that the french police cannot afford to buy it's own luggage for this sort of pratice? Going through my bag is bad enough. But placeing a bomb in there...yeeesh __________________ What's the difference between congress and a penitentiary? One is filled with tax evaders, blackmailers and threats to society. The other is for housing prisoners. ~~David Letterman