The Qatari embassy in Washington has released a statement concerning the detention of one of its diplomats by US Air Marshals aboard a United flight to Denver:

FROM THE AMBASSADOR OF THE STATE OF QATAR TO THE UNITED STATES, H.E. ALI BIN FAHAD AL-HAJRI

PRESS REPORTS TODAY REGARDING AN INCIDENT ABOARD A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT FROM WASHINGTON, DC TO DENVER, CO INDICATE THAT A QATARI DIPLOMAT WAS DETAINED FOR SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR. WE RESPECT THE NECESSITY OF SPECIAL SECURITY PRECAUTIONS INVOLVING AIR TRAVEL, BUT THIS DIPLOMAT WAS TRAVELING TO DENVER ON OFFICIAL EMBASSY BUSINESS ON MY INSTRUCTIONS, AND HE WAS CERTAINLY NOT ENGAGED IN ANY THREATENING ACTIVITY. THE FACTS WILL REVEAL THAT THIS WAS A MISTAKE, AND WE URGE ALL CONCERNED PARTIES TO AVOID RECKLESS JUDGMENTS OR SPECULATION.

Which is all well and good, but the diplomat was violating federal law by smoking in the fuselage and then responded to questioning by claiming, sarcastically or otherwise, to be attempting to light his shoe on fire — an obvious reference to previous terrorist attack attempts involving the detonation of shoe bombs.

I’d like to believe that most rational people consider violations of federal law and “jokes” about detonating explosives aboard a flight to be “threatening” behavior. The only “mistake” was Mohammed al-Modadi deciding to tell a US Air Marshal that, while violating federal law, he was attempting to detonate explosives.

The air marshals responded to the incident in the proper manner. They took the suspect into custody, called for air support until landing, and then had the suspect questioned by authorities. Anything else would have been a dereliction of duty and common sense.

Making jokes about terrorism is never acceptable aboard flights, but it’s even less acceptable when done so to the face of a US Air Marshal after the 9/11 attacks. Perhaps that’s a lesson Ambassador Al-Hajri, who was educated in the United States, could pass on to his diplomatic corps.

Qatar is a relatively stable and friendly country to the United States, serving as an important launching point for the war in Iraq in 2003 and maintaining campuses for some of America’s finest universities. One expects better from a high-ranking diplomat coming from Qatar.