In the 20th century the prevailing slogan was decolonisation followed by internationalism, based on economic and political "reconstruction" and "development." While reconstruction was fully implemented to rehabilitate the war-devastated economy of Europe, this slogan of "development" was not much of a success on a global basis as most of the poor countries of the world remained poor. The deplorable episode of September 2001 gave birth to a new slogan 'international terrorism' by the lone superpower of the world.
This has not only polarised the world but has even become a yardstick to conduct international relations. Practically all the countries are directly or indirectly affected and "terrorism" will continue to hold sway in their international relations for decades to come.
While 'terrorism' undoubtedly is the most stupid act, it has also generated a plethora of stupid reactions in several countries, mostly in the United States. Thousands of stupid reactions took place in USA after 11th September. These are very well reflected in the formulation of anti-terrorist policies and their implementation.
In this article, I will mention only a few of those stupid reactions in the USA which go to show how a serious thing, 'terrorism' has generated reactions which can be called 'silly'. It will also show how American ingenuity can convert a serious business into a comical farce, making it an act of humour and laugh. In the aftermath of such policies one can only seeing comical behaviour causing widespread laughter.
The 11th September incident in 2001 caused extraordinary and most tight security arrangements in all US airports. During the Thanksgiving holiday in 2001, thousands of passengers were subjected to thorough search and their luggage was scanned on that day. A solemn occasion turned into a bitter experience for many.
The confiscation list included (i) 15982 pocket knives, (ii) 98 box cutters, (iii) 6 guns, (iv) 1072 clubs or bats (v) 242 banned tools, (vi) 2384 flammable items and (vii) 20581 sharp objects like scissors. An American airline flight made an unscheduled landing in Salt Lake city to eject a college student passenger after he tried to recharge an AA battery by heating it with a cigarettes lighter.
A passenger was detained at Lambert Field in St Louis when his checked luggage was found to have a suspicious item which was an alarm clock with six toy sticks of dynamite attached to it. US Marines, headed for Iraq, were boarding a chartered commercial airliner when they were stopped by security.
They were not allowed to board while carrying their knives. Ultimately they relinquished their knives and boarded the plane carrying their M16 guns and M60 machine-guns.
The anti-terror laws provided to confiscate any 'suspicious' item. The following episodes amongst thousands will show how strictly and literally the law was enforced. An airline captain's personal pocket knife with only one inch blade was confiscated at New York's La Guardia Airport before he boarded the Boeing 757 he was going to fly to Florida. He was told if he kept the knife he might use it to gain control of the airplane.
In February 2002, while in a plane in Dallas, 36-year-old Renee Koutsourades was paged over loudspeaker. She was asked to deplane and accompany a Delta Air security guard to the tarmac. There was something 'suspicious' in her bag, something that appear to be vibrating. She was asked to take it out and hold it in her hand for inspection. It was a battery operated sex vibrator which she apparently forgot to switch off.
This was a gift to her from her husband. She filed a suit against Delta, seeking damage on a number of counts, including intentional infliction of public humiliation as the passenger laughed at her and made obnoxious sexually harassing comments.
Security guards at JFK International Airport in New York were suspicious about three bottles of milk that a woman was carrying along with her infant daughter. The security guards were not convinced that the bottles were for the infant. She was asked to drink the three bottles or she would not be allowed to board.
They said that there could be explosives in the bottles and could be thrown on the stewardess. She was considering a law suit as it was very uncomfortable, insulting and embarrassing.
A Saudi Arabian college student was stopped at a security checkpoint at Philadelphia International Airport. While inspecting his luggage, security guards became suspicious over a bottle of cologne. The student sprayed himself with the liquid to show it was merely cologne. Accidentally he also sprayed two security guards.
Immediately a code-red hazardous material alert was issued, and local police, fire fighters and FBI rushed to the scene. The guards were rushed to a hospital for testing and the emergency room was quarantined for three hours together with the student. A doughnut shop and a Right Aid drugstore were also closed for an hour as both security guards had been there after being 'contaminated'. The quarantine and red alert were lifted, when it was finally determined that the unknown substance was 'nothing but cologne'.
In the post 11th September USA, even an insignificant event or object, was given the highest consideration of being an act of terrorism taking the matter to an amazing extreme. A27-foot long hot dog vehicle, the famous OSCAR Mayor Weiner mobile caused alert in Washington road when the driver got lost and inadvertently wound up on a road near the Pentagon.
This road was closed to commercial traffic since 9/11. The vehicle was stopped. The hot dog was inspected and was ultimately released with the comments that it constituted "no threat to Pentagon."
A stained white envelope was addressed to a Congress person. The envelope looked "suspicious" as a postal clerk who handled it, complained of headache and burning sensation. He checked in at Unity hospital where the concerned officials called in the FBI. The FBI promptly activated its Joint Terrorism Task Force. Two agents went to the post office basement and carefully opened the suspicious envelope and found a 'potato slice'. "Nobody read the writing on the envelope which said 'Have a "French fry." In Orange County, California a package was found leaking an unidentified fluid. Four workers soon fell ill breathing the fumes.
The whole building was evacuated by the Fire Department Hazardous Waste Team. When the package was opened it was nothing but a bottle of Vodka. In a school in Irvington, New Jersey, two 8-years-old boys were charged with making terrorist threat by playing cops and robber with a paper gun. Vigilant local officials caught the boys and filed charges.
A Florida man was worried that Pentagon might not be telling the truth about the working of its anti-terrorism system. So he wanted to test the system by sending an e-mail falsely warning of widespread attack on Patrick Air Force Base and the surrounding areas. He was traced and arrested and was facing charge upto 15-year in jail and a fine of $10,000.
The above are only a few of the thousands of stupid reactions in USA. The unfortunate thing is that they do not show any sign of lessening. One wonders if the US society a whole suffers from an unknown fear and a terror phobia. May God show them the right path and give them courage to throw any mantle of fear!
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