Bomb Hoaxer Forced 2-Hour Evacuation of Dublin Airport
A bomb hoaxer who forced a "red alert" evacuation of Dublin International Airport was scheduled to appear in a Dublin court Wednesday, a day after his actions set off chaos at Ireland's major airport.
Airport police arrested the man Tuesday after he ran through the airport's arrivals section claiming he had a bomb in his bag. Irish army experts later determined the bag contained only clothes and papers.
Police declined to identify the man, in keeping with Irish practice, until he is arraigned in Dublin District Court. They also declined to specify his age or the charges he would face.
Witnesses described the hoaxer as a slim man in his 50s with an accent from Ireland's southwest. Some said he claimed to be an operative of the al-Qaida terror network, while others said he appeared to be speaking Arabic-sounding phrases.
The airport was closed for two hours because of the threat, which airport spokesman Siobhan Moore said was treated as a highest-threat red alert. She said about 50 flights involving 9,000 passengers were delayed. Ryanair canceled 18 flights to and from Dublin because of the overcrowding and chaos that followed the long delay, when passengers were sent to nearby parking lots or left to stand outside the terminal.
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