P.M. BRIEFING : Pan Am Iraqi Policy Questioned
The reported barring of Iraqi nationals from Pan Am flights may violate a New York civil rights law, and the airline’s president has been subpoenaed to testify about the policy, the city Human Rights Commission said.
City law prohibits discrimination against people based on their citizenship and national origin, commission spokesman Lonnie Soury said.
The commission has subpoenaed the president of Pan American World Airways, Thomas Plaskett, to explain the policy, Soury said. The subpoena, issued last Friday, asked Plaskett to appear Thursday before the commission.
Pan Am spokesman Jeff Kreindler said the airline would not comment on the subpoena and would not say if a policy to screen out Iraqi nationals is in effect.
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