Qatari Diplomat Mohammed Al-Madadi: Free To Go After Bomb Scare

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Mohammed Al-Madadi Free To Go

The culprit behind United Flight 663 scare that kept TSA on its toes last night when it was alleged that a shoe bomber might be on board a plane headed to Denver is now free to go, according to lawyers representing the Embassy of Qatar.

• United Flight 663: Mohammed al Modadi

Mohammed Al-Madadi, a young diplomat from Qatar, was idenified as the man who provoked the incident. It is alleged al Modadi might have been smoking a cigarette in the lavatory when he was reported to air marshals, who misinterpreted Al-Madadi's unfortunate remark. It is alleged that the Qatari diplomat told the air marshals, "I'm lighting my shoes on fire." The air marshals than restrained Al-Madadi thinking he was about to set off a shoe bomb when they saw Al-Madadi extinguish a cigarette on the sole of his shoe.

Despite being detained and question by the FBI, it is possible that Al-Madadi could face no action because of his diplomatic immunity. CNN reports that Al-Madadi was cleared to travel back to Washington where he is serving as a diplomat.

The embassy of Qatar in the United States has released a statement in the wake of the incident. The Qatari ambassador H. E. Ali Bin Fahad Al-Hajri called for all concerned parties to avoid reckless judgments or speculation after the scare that he called a "mistake." Al-Hajri said the diplomat detained was traveling to Denver on official embassy business on his instructions and was not engaged in any "threatening activity."