Tony Blair
Photo: Tess Shaplan, Jini agency
Airport drama: Blair's guard misfires
Quartet Envoy Tony Blair's bodyguard causes scare at Ben Gurion Airport; police launch investigation
Security drama at airport: A bodyguard securing the Quartet's Middle East Envoy, Tony Blair, misfired a bullet at Ben Gurion international airport Tuesday as Blair was preparing to leave Israel.
The incident caused a commotion at the site, prompting police and security personnel to rush Blair into the airplane.
A short time after the incident, it turned out that it was not an attempted terror attack. No injuries were reported as result of the misfire. Meanwhile, police at the airport held the bodyguard for questioning.
The incident took place around 3 pm, moments before Blair's planned departure. Immediately after he was rushed into the plane, the pilot was ordered to take off. The bodyguard involved in the incident is expected to board a later flight.
The latest incident is reminiscent of another airport drama about four months ago. At the time, a Border Guard police officer committed suicide as French President Nicolas Sarkozy was about to leave Israel. There too, security personnel were quick to rush Sarkozy and his wife to the plane.
