Hani Abdulelah Bukhari is Saudi Man Arrested Dressed as Pilot in Manila

A 19-year-old Saudi Arabian man was arrested in the Manila, Philippines airport on Tuesday, January 12th.  He entered a restricted area and was allegedly wearing a pilot's uniform. No airlines have been mentioned by name. I'm wondering if the White House will have anything to say, anytime soon, about the many incidents since the Underpants Bomber's Christmas Day attempt? Does Obama know about all this, or...what?  See update below.

Hani Abdulelah Bukhari

According to the Manila airport general manager, Alfonso Cusi, the man misrepresented himself as a "pilot of Saudia" [I assume that means as a pilot for a Saudi airline].

The detained Saudi, identified by the local authorities as Hani Abdulelah Bukhari, told airport police he was there to meet his father, a retired Saudia pilot who later arrived on a flight from Saudi Arabia.

He was wearing a pilot's uniform from Saudia Airlines when airport security personnel noticed him lining up at the immigration section of the passenger terminal, Cusi told ABS-CBN television.

The young man produced a card identifying him as a dependent of a retired Saudia employee, he said.

Get this friends, this guy was reportedly "enrolled at a local flying school." But the school said nope, he's not a student but his two brothers are!

I originally found this report at Winds of Jihad which reminds of that 9-11 hijacker Mohammed Atta may have "used this very same technique - wearing a pilots uniform to spy on airline operations." Sheik Yer Mami at Winds of Jihad has that link. Read about Clogging the Intelligence Pipeline. Is that what this is all about? Keeping the pipeline so busy that we run out of personnel to really keep the country safe. See links below.

Update 1-12-10:

The airport is the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Bukhari went through security, then "walked over into the arrivals area one floor below. Source: CTV.

He was approaching an immigration lane reserved for arriving airline crew when a security officer became suspicious and demanded to see his pilot's ID. Bukhari presented a document that identified him as a dependent of a Saudi Airlines' employee, Pascual said.

Bukhari is facing charges of misrepresentation and will be deported, Cusi said, adding investigators were working to find out more about him and his intentions.

After detention, he fainted and is believed to be diabetic. He was taken to a hospital. He did not have a student visa. He arrived in Manila on November 30, 2009 on a 21-day visitor visa. He was not on any terrorist watchlists, according to the aiport immigration chief.





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