by In what can only be described as a brilliant diplomatic move, TSA agents at Jackson-Evers International Airport in Jackson, Mississippi pulled the sari-clad Indian Ambassador to the U.S. out of line for a pat-down. Her Excellency Meera Shankar was in Jackson to deliver a speech at a local university in conjunction with its international studies program.
According to a story in the Wall Street Journal, the incident happened this past weekend and the Indian Embassy plans to make a formal complaint to the State Department. The incident is a big story back in India according to reports. The Indians consider the pat-down a breech of diplomatic protocol.
Department of Homeland Security officials said the TSA agents made “right call when they patted down Ms. Shankar.”
There is no word on whether the TSA agents or the DHS officials performed the pat-down in retaliation for being switched to a call center in Mumbai regarding their past due credit card bill.
Whatever happened to diplomatic immunity? A covered diplomat can shoot the President of the United States, and short of a war or the diplomat's country allowing prosecution, all that happens is the diplomat gets sent home…..
WTF?
The host government may ask that the sponsoring govrnment waive a diplomat's immunity if he commits a particularly heinous crime, such as murder.
Diplomatic immunity applies only to criminal prosecution. It does not give an exemption from search at airports or government buildings. Only those diplomats protected by an armed detail either by the Diplomatic Security Service or their own security bypass search at airports.
However, a dimplomat on official business (as the Ambassador was) are personally involable, and are to be treated with dignity and respect.
If Congress gets to bypass, the diplomatic corps ought to as well. We wouldn't stand for this from another nation.
(Speaks the Foreign Service brat)