Investigators were told the man was asked about the smell of smoke in the toilet and he made a joke that he had been trying to light his shoes - an apparent reference to the 2001 "shoe bomber" Richard Reid.C'mon... what airline passenger doesn't love a good "bomber" joke?
Officials later said no explosives were found and he had apparently been trying to smoke in a plane toilet.
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UPDATE: Gotta love the subtext...
-- (CBS/ AP) -- A Qatari diplomat who sparked a bomb scare after sneaking a smoke in an airplane bathroom was traveling for a consular visit to see an imprisoned al Qaeda sleeper agent.Uh-huh.
Consular officials frequently visit foreigners held in the United States to make sure they are being treated well. He also planned to meet with Qatari college students.
