A delegation of Pakistani military officers was on a flight from Washington D.C. to Tampa, FL for a meeting with US Central Command when the officers were pulled off the flight for talking – because apparently when foreign people talk to one another on a plane, it’s best to jump to the conclusion that they are terrorists and then treat them as such.
Pakistani officials said the officer, weary from the journey to the US, had said, “I hope this is the final plane to the destination” causing a female passenger, who believed he was threatening the aircraft, to panic.
Major General Athar Abbas, a spokesman for the Pakistan military, said the officers had been cleared by subsequent security inspections.
“However, as a result of these checks, military authorities in Pakistan decided to cancel the visit and called the delegation back,” the army said in a statement.
Part of the strategy to success in Afghanistan involves a partnership with the Pakistani government. We are very much relying on the Pakistani military and police to help stamp out Taliban influence. When this delegation, which is trying to help us fight terrorists, is harassed as a result of one particular woman’s assumption upon hearing someone say that they are tired and looking forward to arriving at their final destination, that doesn’t exactly engender good feelings in the relationship that is already a little rocky.
All of the fear mongering and Islamophobia of those on the right is now having an impact on our ability to work with our allies. The Telegraph piece quoted above does indicate that a spokesperson for the American Embassy in Pakistan has said talks are underway to reschedule the visit.
