Family man held in terrorist scare (From Free Press Series)

Family man held in terrorist scare

A Caldicot fish and chip shop owner was interrogated by armed FBI agents at a New York airport - after being mistaken for a Middle Eastern terrorist.

James Harris, who serves on Caldicot Town Council, was detained for an hour and almost missed his flight home after the mix-up.

FBI agents told Mr Harris he was detained because he had the same name and description as a known terrorist on their 'most wanted' list.

Mr Harris spent New Year in the Big Apple celebrating his 50th birthday with his wife, Gail, their daughter, Claire, 15, and 14-year-old twin sons, Jonathan and Alexander.

The four-day break came as the city was subjected to almost unprecedented security as the country went on 'orange alert' following intelligence reports that Islamic militants had planned a terrorist attack.

The precautions continued as the family were due to depart from Newark Airport on New Year's Day.

Every passenger had to pass through a metal detector, be body-searched and take their shoes off for inspection at three different points.

At the third security check, Mr Harris, owner of the Battersby Fish and Chip shop in Caldicot, was singled out and taken into a roomful of heavily-armed FBI agents.

He said: "The first question they asked me was whether I was a member of a terrorist organisation.

"Then they asked me whether I had been to the Middle East, and I said 'yes' because I have been to Israel on business and holidays.

"At first I thought it was a bit of a laugh, but it started to get a bit more serious when I realised everyone else had boarded the plane."

After intense questioning, Mr Harris' interrogator told him he was satisfied he was not a terrorist and was free to board the Heathrow-bound plane, which was only minutes from take-off.

Mr Harris said: "They did actually tell me that my name, build and picture matched that of a wanted terrorist."

Mr Harris said the experience had not put him off making further trips to New York. "I would go tomorrow," he said, "I think it is just an acceptable part of the world in which we now live."