Two men who accidentally deactivated bomb in Manhattan before stealing luggage identified as Egyptian
FROM EGYPT WITH LOVE: The two previously unidentified men captured on surveillance footage discovering and accidentally deactivating one of Ahmed Khan Rahami’s pressure cooker bombs in Manhattan before making off with the luggage he had left it in have been identified as Egyptian tourists, according to local New York media sources early this morning. “They were staying at a Manhattan hotel and were strolling on West 27th Street when the floral patterned luggage containing the device caught their eye,” local New York outlet DNA reports. “They inspected the suitcase, opened it and left the pressure cooker on the curb, apparently dislodging a flip phone that was attached to the bomb as a triggering mechanism,” according to unnamed sources. “They then walked off with the luggage and have been sought ever since, apparently unaware of their unwitting role in the international terrorist event.”
This story, however, is further complicated by reports that the tourists are believed to be EgyptAir pilots. The two men are wanted by American authorities for questioning in their capacity as witnesses and are not suspected to be involved in the plot. However, the wider dissemination of the story and the detail that the men in question are believed to be pilots — who did not report the unattended bag, nor were they able to identify a bomb when holding it in their hands — could reflect poorly on the country’s airport staff. Think about it: What’s the first question anyone is asked by airport security? “Did you pack your bag? Did you leave your bag unattended? Did anyone ask you to carry this bag?”