The World & Nation

Rep. Darrell E. Issa (R-Vista), the grandson of Lebanese immigrants, said he was the victim of racial profiling after being prevented from boarding a flight to the Middle East.

Issa said that when he arrived at the Air France counter at Dulles International Airport in Virginia on Oct. 4, he was told that “for security reasons,” he couldn’t board, even after he identified himself as a congressman. He was kept from boarding because of his “Arab surname,” he said.

But an Air France spokesman said the congressman simply arrived too late.

“While this is an unfortunate incident, the congressman showed up 10 minutes after the flight was closed,” spokesman Jim Faulkner said. “We have security procedures that we have to follow prior to departure.”

Issa said that although he had asked the airline for an explanation, he had not received one.

While the airline’s spokesman said Issa checked in 50 minutes before the flight’s departure instead of the recommended two hours, Issa said he was never told he arrived late. He said other passengers boarded the plane after he arrived, something that could have happened, the airline spokesman said. The airline starts moving standby passengers onto a plane one hour before a flight departs.

Issa was planning to travel with Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) on a diplomatic mission to the Middle East. He ended up flying the next day--on a different airline.

Industry experts say airlines have tightened security procedures since Sept. 11, including checking passenger names against lists of suspected terrorists.