Green Party Official Prevented From Boarding an Airliner Because of her Opposition to the Afghan War–Disputed!
Summary of eRumor:
Nancy Oden, USA Coordinator for the Green Party, was grabbed by armed government agents as she was about to board a plane in Bangor, Maine. She claims she was told that she was targeted by authorities because of the Green Party’s opposition to the bombing of innocent civilians in Afghanistan. She describes herself as having been surrounded by military personnel with automatic weapons who were instructed to prevent her from boarding any other flights. She also says the airport was shut down. She was on her way to Chicago for a Green Party function.
The Truth:
The incident did happen at Bangor International airport on Thursday, November 1, 2001.
Nancy Oden does claim that she was singled out because of the Green Party’s views of the war in Afghanistan. An official statement from the airport says it was not Oden’s political views or activities that resulted in her being scrutinized, but rather the manner in which her ticket was purchased. They didn’t specify what that meant about her ticket, but under new screening guidelines, a person, for example, who has purchased a ticket on the same day of the flight and used cash to buy it may be selected by computer for additional screening. The airport statement says Oden refused to cooperate with the screening, and that by Federal Regulation, she could not be allowed to board the flight.
Susan Libby, one of the screeners on duty on the day of the incident, also says Oden’s views had nothing to do with her being detained. In a statement from the Bangor, Maine airport website, she says that none of them knew who she was or what her views were. She says she was bothered by Nancy Oden’s rudeness to the National Guardsmen.
Oden says that since she wasn’t arrested, that meant she didn’t do anything wrong, but she did miss out on other flights to Chicago.