9/11 pilot exonerated

[FsNovice]

A pilot wrongly accused of training the 9/11 hijackers is entitled to claim damages, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

Judges said evidence suggested "serious defaults" in the decision to detain Lotfi Raissi in prison for nearly five months after a US extradition request.

The ruling means the government has to reconsider the 33-year-old's claim for compensation, which it had refused.

...
He said his wrongful arrest had left him blacklisted as a pilot and unable to work.

"They destroyed my life, they destroyed my career. For this I will never, ever forgive them," he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7244418.stm

[C]

Sadly I doubt we'll actually find out why he attracted the authorities attention in the first place - I doubt he's a clean as he makes out.

Unless of course the US authorities attached the names of several Algerian pilots to a dartboard, took a pot shot, and asked for him to be arrested. Which is about as likely as Hugh Hefner buying a mansion on Pluto on February 30th... :-?

[expat]

Sadly I doubt we'll actually find out why he attracted the authorities attention in the first place - I doubt he's a clean as he makes out.

Unless of course the US authorities attached the names of several Algerian pilots to a dartboard, took a pot shot, and asked for him to be arrested. Which is about as likely as Hugh Hefner buying a mansion on Pluto on February 30th... :-?

Well without casting apersions on US authorities, my best friend is a copper in the UK with the a name that could only really make hime English, not only that but it is a very, very common name. He went to to the US last year was taken away at imigration and interviewed for 2 hours as why he was coming to the US. He identified himself as a serving UK policeman, it made no difference. He was in the end free to start his holiday. The only thing they said to him was that his "name" was on a wanted list. So pull in all the smiths (name changed to protect the innocent ) and interrogate them Maybe we get lucky

Matt

[C]

Well without casting apersions on US authorities, my best friend is a copper in the UK with the a name that could only really make hime English, not only that but it is a very, very common name. He went to to the US last year was taken away at imigration and interviewed for 2 hours as why he was coming to the US. He identified himself as a serving UK policeman, it made no difference. He was in the end free to start his holiday. The only thing they said to him was that his "name" was on a wanted list. So pull in all the smiths (name changed to protect the innocent ) and interrogate them Maybe we get lucky

Matt

Same could probably quite easily happen to anyone with an MOD90/1250 - even in the UK...

[expat]

Well without casting apersions on US authorities, my best friend is a copper in the UK with the a name that could only really make hime English, not only that but it is a very, very common name. He went to to the US last year was taken away at imigration and interviewed for 2 hours as why he was coming to the US. He identified himself as a serving UK policeman, it made no difference. He was in the end free to start his holiday. The only thing they said to him was that his "name" was on a wanted list. So pull in all the smiths (name changed to protect the innocent ) and interrogate them Maybe we get lucky

Matt

Same could probably quite easily happen to anyone with an MOD90/1250 - even in the UK...

It could happen to anyone really. The thing that seems to always be lacking is a little research into who is being arrested before hand. Ok, if a present danger is posed then they are right to act. But because you have the same name??

Matt

[beaky]

Even post-exoneration, he'll never get a break as long as he is referred to as the "9/11 pilot".