The United States expressed regret for the incident involving Indian ambassador to the US Meera Shankar, who while wearing a sari was pulled out of an airport security line for a “pat-down” body search, and promised to ensure such incidents didn’t recur.
“We obviously are concerned... We will be looking into it and trying to determine both what happened and what we could do to prevent such incidents in future,” secretary of state Hillary Clinton told reporters. An Indian embassy spokesman added that the state department had “reached out” to the ambassador.
But the Transportation Security Administration, which handles security at all American airports, said its review of the December 4 incident showed its officials had done nothing wrong and had followed “proper standard procedures”. Its new rules have a provision for the removal of “bulky” clothing, and if someone voices objections and TSA officials determine that such clothing could hide a threat object, they could require additional screening. It was not clear from the TSA statement if it regards a sari as “bulky” clothing.
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Test-fire of upgraded Agni-2 fails
Balasore (Orissa), Dec. 10: The test-firing of an upgraded Agni-2 nuclear-capable intermediate range ballistic missile from Wheeler Island off the Orissa coast failed on Friday, with the weapon system deviating from its trajectory immediately after liftoff. A DRDO spokesman said in New Delhi that a “detailed analysis was in progress”. While officials at the test range remained tightlipped, eyewitnesses there claimed the missile fell into the sea around 30 seconds after its liftoff in inclement weather marked by intermittent rains and chilly winds. —PTI