NEW YORK Venezuela's foreign minister was detained at Kennedy International Airport over the weekend while trying to fly home after the UN General Assembly meeting, prompting an apology from the State Department.
The foreign minister, Nicolás Maduro, held a news conference at Venezuela's mission to the United Nations in New York, saying he was returning to Caracas on Saturday when he was prevented from boarding his plane and detained for an hour and a half. He called the apology insufficient.
Maduro told CNN that he believed he had been detained in retaliation for a speech at the United Nations by President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. Addressing the General Assembly, Chávez called President George W. Bush "the devil" and said the U.S. government was "doing all it can to consolidate its hegemonistic system of domination."
CNN quoted a White House official as saying there was no connection. CNN did not identify the official, whom it quoted as saying that Maduro, his wife and child had arrived at the airport 30 minutes before their scheduled flight Saturday and paid for their tickets in cash. He was asked to go through a second security check but refused, the official said.
The official said Maduro had informed airport security that he was a diplomat only after his travel documents had been confiscated. The official also said that after the disagreement was resolved, Maduro was given permission to board the plane, but chose to stay in New York.
Maduro said when one official ordered him to go to another room for a strip-search, he refused. He told CNN en Espańol that the official had pushed him and yelled at him. The Associated Press quoted a Department of Homeland Security spokesman, Russ Knocke, as denying that Maduro had been mistreated. "He began to articulate his frustration with secondary screening right after he went through" a metal detector, Knocke said. "Port Authority officials confronted him when the situation became a ruckus."
"The State Department regrets this incident," Gonzo Gallegos, a spokesman for the department said. "The United States government apologized to Foreign Minister Maduro and the Venezuelan government."
NEW YORK Venezuela's foreign minister was detained at Kennedy International Airport over the weekend while trying to fly home after the UN General Assembly meeting, prompting an apology from the State Department.
The foreign minister, Nicolás Maduro, held a news conference at Venezuela's mission to the United Nations in New York, saying he was returning to Caracas on Saturday when he was prevented from boarding his plane and detained for an hour and a half. He called the apology insufficient.
Maduro told CNN that he believed he had been detained in retaliation for a speech at the United Nations by President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. Addressing the General Assembly, Chávez called President George W. Bush "the devil" and said the U.S. government was "doing all it can to consolidate its hegemonistic system of domination."
CNN quoted a White House official as saying there was no connection. CNN did not identify the official, whom it quoted as saying that Maduro, his wife and child had arrived at the airport 30 minutes before their scheduled flight Saturday and paid for their tickets in cash. He was asked to go through a second security check but refused, the official said.
The official said Maduro had informed airport security that he was a diplomat only after his travel documents had been confiscated. The official also said that after the disagreement was resolved, Maduro was given permission to board the plane, but chose to stay in New York.
Maduro said when one official ordered him to go to another room for a strip-search, he refused. He told CNN en Espańol that the official had pushed him and yelled at him. The Associated Press quoted a Department of Homeland Security spokesman, Russ Knocke, as denying that Maduro had been mistreated. "He began to articulate his frustration with secondary screening right after he went through" a metal detector, Knocke said. "Port Authority officials confronted him when the situation became a ruckus."
"The State Department regrets this incident," Gonzo Gallegos, a spokesman for the department said. "The United States government apologized to Foreign Minister Maduro and the Venezuelan government."
NEW YORK Venezuela's foreign minister was detained at Kennedy International Airport over the weekend while trying to fly home after the UN General Assembly meeting, prompting an apology from the State Department.
The foreign minister, Nicolás Maduro, held a news conference at Venezuela's mission to the United Nations in New York, saying he was returning to Caracas on Saturday when he was prevented from boarding his plane and detained for an hour and a half. He called the apology insufficient.
Maduro told CNN that he believed he had been detained in retaliation for a speech at the United Nations by President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. Addressing the General Assembly, Chávez called President George W. Bush "the devil" and said the U.S. government was "doing all it can to consolidate its hegemonistic system of domination."
CNN quoted a White House official as saying there was no connection. CNN did not identify the official, whom it quoted as saying that Maduro, his wife and child had arrived at the airport 30 minutes before their scheduled flight Saturday and paid for their tickets in cash. He was asked to go through a second security check but refused, the official said. The official said Maduro had informed security that he was a diplomat only after travel his documents had ben confiscated. The official also said that after the disagreement resolved, Maduro was given permission to board the plane, but chose to stay in New York.
Maduro said when one official ordered him to go to another room for a strip search, he refused. He told CNN Espanol that the official had pushed him and yelled at him. The Associated Press quoted a Department of Homeland Security spokesman, Russ Knocke, as denying that Maduro had been mistreated. "He began to articulate his frustration with secondary screening right after he went through" a metal detector, Knocke said. "Port Authority officials confronted him when the situation became a ruckus."
"The State Department regrets this incident," Gonzo Gallegos, a spokesman for the department said. "The United States government apologized to Foreign Minister Maduro and the Venezuelan government."
NEW YORK Venezuela's foreign minister was detained at Kennedy International Airport over the weekend while trying to fly home after the UN General Assembly meeting, prompting an apology from the State Department.
The foreign minister, Nicolás Maduro, held a news conference at Venezuela's mission to the United Nations in New York, saying he was returning to Caracas on Saturday when he was prevented from boarding his plane and detained for an hour and a half. He called the apology insufficient.
Maduro told CNN that he believed he had been detained in retaliation for a speech at the United Nations by President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. Addressing the General Assembly, Chávez called President George W. Bush "the devil" and said the U.S. government was "doing all it can to consolidate its hegemonistic system of domination."
CNN quoted a White House official as saying there was no connection. CNN did not identify the official, whom it quoted as saying that Maduro, his wife and child had arrived at the airport 30 minutes before their scheduled flight Saturday and paid for their tickets in cash. He was asked to go through a second security check but refused, the official said.
The official said Maduro had informed airport security that he was a diplomat only after his travel documents had been confiscated. The official also said that after the disagreement was resolved, Maduro was given permission to board the plane, but chose to stay in New York.
Maduro said when one official ordered him to go to another room for a strip-search, he refused. He told CNN en Espańol that the official had pushed him and yelled at him. The Associated Press quoted a Department of Homeland Security spokesman, Russ Knocke, as denying that Maduro had been mistreated. "He began to articulate his frustration with secondary screening right after he went through" a metal detector, Knocke said. "Port Authority officials confronted him when the situation became a ruckus."
"The State Department regrets this incident," Gonzo Gallegos, a spokesman for the department said. "The United States government apologized to Foreign Minister Maduro and the Venezuelan government."
[ September 24, 2006, 13:10: Message edited by: Ace of Spades ]
Posted by Ace of Spades on :
That's what happens when you f#ck with the U.S. They should have shoved an Anal-Probe up his a$$
WHO'S THE DEVIL NOW B#TCH ! Posted by glassman on :
yeah, great diplomacy...
do you not see that Bush is losing the PROPAGANDA war and taking US down with him...
there is no difference between calling someone "evil" or a member of the "axis of evil" and calling someone the devil... i disagree with all of these BOZOs....
as of right now? we can't even wage the Iraq war proprerly and these scummy punks like Amadinajad and Chavez smell it....
Posted by Ace of Spades on :
You right, but the whole "axis of evil" thing was pretty funny.
[ September 24, 2006, 13:37: Message edited by: Ace of Spades ]
Posted by bdgee on :
No, it isn't at all funny to have president with so little respect and maturity he constantly is performing childishly and turning the world against us.
No one actually likes a school yard bully but his mama and daddy and those two aren't exactly without such sin themselves.
dubya insults and degrades us merely by being the jerk he is.
It is genetic.......lack of forepower in both the intellect and the manners, resulting in being an a$$.
Posted by Ace of Spades on :
I didn't mean that it's litteraly funny.
You know when have one of those days...when you wake up late, step in a puddle, total your car, get fired for being late, find out your mother's a lesbian, ect.
You can't do anything, but laugh to yourself, and say this is some funny sh*t! Posted by glassman on :
funny chit?
i had a vistior at my house that just got of the army last night...
they weren't laughing...
Posted by Ace of Spades on :
quote:Originally posted by glassman: funny chit?
i had a vistior at my house that just got of the army last night...
they weren't laughing...
Sorry, I should choose my words more carefully. But if you don't mind, what did your friend from the army have to say? Just curious.
Posted by glassman on :
why are you curious? ask some yourself...there are plenty here at this board...
they mostly say the same thing, that they aren't recomending enlisting to their friends, that they are afraid, no that's nothe correct word, CONCERNED, (i don't think fear is the problem) they will be called back again for the second time, even tho they have already returned once and fulifilled their reserve duty...
the frustrating part here is that people want to serve and serve well, but htey are no longer sure they are serving the right cause...
Posted by bdgee on :
Well put. Glass...
The propriety of their service should never be a concern to our men and women in uniform.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
They should have shoved an Anal-Probe up his a$$