The United States Department of State on Monday rejected to let former US Marine Corps Intelligence Officer and United Nations Special Commission weapons inspector Scott Ritter board a flight from New York to Istanbul, a stopover on his trip to Russia to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum as a guest speaker.
"As I was boarding my flight out of New York I was pulled aside by three CBP [Customs and Border Protection] officers, who seized my passport. When asked why, they said orders of the State Department. No further information was provided. My bags were removed from the flight, and I was escorted out of the airport," Ritter told Sputnik. Ritter further said that he thinks the US authorities prevented him from traveling because they are "afraid" of his participation in the St. Petersburg event.
The State Department declined to comment on the matter. "We cannot comment on the status of the passport of a private US citizen," a State Department spokesperson told Tass news agency.
