Netanyahu Security Detail Has Glock .40s Stolen at JFK Enroute to D.C

It's one of those embarrassing things everyone would like to pass off as a simple case of lost luggage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was enroute to the U.S. Sunday for a state visit with American President Barack Obama.

Netanyahu's bodyguard was armed with .40 Calibre Glock semi-automatic pistols which they had brought with them on the flight from Tel Aviv. For reasons unknown, the Israeli security agents were obliged to land at JFK airport and change to an American Airlines flight to Washington, D.C. For additional reasons unknown, the agents were obliged to store their weapons in the rear baggage compartment. Four Glocks were in one hard carry gun case; three were in another.

The Israeli security agents arrived in the District in good stead but, lo and behold, the gun case holding the four Glock .40s ended up in Los Angeles. Empty, but still bearing the security stickers reserved for cargo needing special attention. Some people refer to them as "steal me" stickers, an indication of the epic nightmare of lost and stolen luggage at airports across the nation.

The curious thing is that the Israeli security detail was not allowed to carry their handguns aboard the flight from JFK. Nor were they allowed to check their guns into the overhead baggage compartments, something any security agent would also be loathe to do. Whomever makes the U.S. laws regarding foreign security details ought to rethink the problem. Wouldn't armed Israeli agents actually increase security aboard flights? Someone of the apparatchik class forced the Israeli agents to ignore the basic rule of all airports : Never check valuable luggage.

Whatever this occurrence says about the safety of luggage, it says more loudly about the general safety of air traffic safety. It appears that the gun cases arrived empty in Los Angeles, as the thieves, most likely transportation workers, intentionally routed the empty cases to LA to cover the theft of the guns.

If "Transportation Safety Agents" or baggage handlers are able to remove guns from suitcases, then they would also be of a type capable of putting things into suitcases as well. With the memory of the Christmas Bomber still fresh in some minds, the theft of these guns should not be lightly dismissed.

It is likely that answers will not be forthcoming about the stolen guns. After much criticism during the previous Netanyahu visit, the Obama administration wants to create an impression of sweetness and harmony. After all, this latest episode wasn't quite as important as it would be if Obama's security detail lost any of its guns while the President traveled outside the U.S.

Besides, Homeland Security lost 289 of its guns during the period 2005 through 2008, according to a Boston Globe article. So what's the big deal if a couple of crummy Israeli security agents have four semi-auto handguns stolen at JFK airport? At least, the good news is that the agents didn't lose their guns while flying El Al from Tel Aviv. Why couldn't they have flown the El Al right into D.C.? Perhaps, that's the way to go. License El Al to run domestic flights in the U.S. Knowing what I know now, I'd wait the extra time to board a safe airplane at a safe airport.