Understatement of the Week

Mohammed al Modadi, 27, (photo) was identified by authorities as a diplomat in the Qatar embassy, Washington, DC. As Qatar's 3rd secretary and vice-consul, Modadi enjoys full diplomatic immunity. He has been in the United States for years. A student, perhaps, testing our system?
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Kip Hawley, former administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (2005 to 2009) points out, "The TSA and counterterrorism officials are on high alert for a very good reason. Al-Qaida is going to use pregnant women, people with babies, and it is not out of the realm of possibility that they will use a diplomat."
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On point, perhaps, but a distraction nonetheless. Distraction from what you ask? From what you probably have not heard.
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All bags and luggage marked Diplomatic Pouch carried by foreign embassy officials are excluded from security screening at airports.
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Al-Madadi was traveling to meet a convicted enemy combatant serving eight years at a federal Supermax prison (ADX Florence, Illinois). Remember the diplomatic pouch, excluded from searches. What could al Madadi possibly leave with his countryman?
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Rep. Peter King R-NY, ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee“ said, Some countries in the Middle East are sketchy at best, and government officials can be traveling under diplomatic cover and still be al Qaeda sympathizers or affiliated with al Qaeda.”

UNDERSTATEMENT of the WEEK (But thank goodness someone said it!):

“And if they are carrying diplomatic pouches, well, we definitely have to make exceptions in certain cases, and this case certainly drives that home.” - Rep. Peter King (R-NY) ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee source

Declining to apologize for a serious diplomatic incident, which required President Obama to be briefed on Air Force One, Qatar's U.S. ambassador represented the incident as a misunderstanding.
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Was the 'sketchy' jerk, al Modadi, supposed to have behaved on the flight to Denver and only conduct his mischief at the Supermax prison, then? Qatar's U.S. Ambassador is correct, it has been a misunderstanding ... al Modadi's: To the U.S. he's history - PERSONA NON GRATA!
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Submarines are always silent and strange, but the United States Department of State has been in existance since 1789.