Greetings from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (yes, really) to which for reasons that should be obvious to all of you I did not want to say I was going. This post is not going to go live until after I have taken off again.
The good news is that according to the security personnel I asked, the bomb threat on Tuesday night was a 'crazy person' and not Islamist terror like that pictured above. Of course, that doesn't explain why 20 people have been arrested in connection with that threat....
Thankfully, I am heading home from here.
Would you believe that a tiny bottle of water here (I don't think it's even half a liter) is 2.55 Euros? Ouch.
By the way, the Brussels flight from Philadelphia last night was canceled (at least the one on the airline I flew).
Breaking: Part of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport evacuated
Great.... Just great....
Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport has been evacuated in the last few minutes due to a possible bomb or suspicious package. It is still unclear what is going on.
The Leiden train station in Amsterdam has also been evacuated.
A section of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has been evacuated after the arrest of a suspect, a spokesperson has told ITV News.
Social media users report armed police are patrolling the airport and hundreds of people have been evacuated from the commercial section.
Great.... Is there anyplace safe in Europe anymore?
UPDATE 5:31 PM BOSTON TIME
Three more updates at the same link:
1. A bomb disposal robot is investigating a suspicious package at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, according to Airlive.
Pictures of the scene were shared on social media:
Hundreds have been evacuated from the commercial square in the airport and one person has been arrested, authorities say.
Air traffic has so far not been affected, the airport said.
2.Parts of Schiphol Airport remain closed following reports of a suspicious package.
The official Twitter account for the airport has tweeted that air traffic has 'not been affected' by the incident.
3.A section of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has been evacuated following reports of a suspicious package.
One person has been arrested, a spokesperson for the airport has told ITV News.
So glad I fly through Europe....
UPDATE 6:19 PM BOSTON TIME
The Sheraton Hotel near the airport has also been evacuated and two more people have been arrested.
ALERT https://t.co/1jjhY4y8Qk Spokesman says Sheraton Hotel adjacent to Amsterdam airport also evacuated due to 'suspicious situation' - AFP
The Europeans are so totally clueless about airport security it's pathetic (not to mention that in many airports, you have to wonder whose side the security people are on).
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
