US Apologizes to Billionaire Added to Terror No-fly List

Gilbert Chagoury Still Doesn't Know 'Why I Was Branded A Terrorist'

The United States has issued a written apology to a jet-setting billionaire businessman with close ties to former President Bill Clinton whose name was added to the no-fly list in the wake of the attempted Christmas day bombing of an American passenger plane.


The Department of Homeland Security has apologized to Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury, seen here with former President Bill Clinton, for placing him on a no-fly list.
(Courtesy Gilbert Chagoury)

Gilbert Chagoury, 64, a Nigerian citizen of Lebanese descent, was pulled off a private jet Jan. 15 at Teterboro airport in New Jersey and detained for more than four hours after federal agents discovered his name was on the then-recently updated no-fly list.

The private jet crew of two and four other passengers were detained for four-and-a-half hours while agents questioned Chagoury. He and the others were ultimately allowed to continue their trip to Paris.

"I think a huge mistake is an understatement," Chagoury said in a phone interview with ABCNews.com and the Center for Public Integrity.

"I cannot accept being labeled a terrorist when I am known all over the world as a person who loves peace. It really hurt," he said.

It took Chagoury, a well-known philanthropist and an ambassador to the United Nations educational office, more than four months and thousands of dollars in legal fees to get the U.S. government to offer an apology and to give him a waiver to fly freely across U.S. airspace.

[link to abcnews.go.com]