Sparrowhawk
01-03-04, 08:57 AM
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Crash off Egypt
Searchers scoured the Red Sea after an Egyptian airliner carrying 148 people crashed on Saturday. No survivors found; Government rules out terrorism
<hr>
Three air routes focus of scrutiny
Flight from London to Dulles canceled again By Dana Priest and Sara Kehaulani Goo
Updated: 3:26 a.m. ET Jan. 03, 2004Three international flight routes -- London Heathrow to Dulles International Airport, and Paris and Mexico City to Los Angeles -- are the focus of an intense manhunt for al Qaeda terrorists being carried out by intelligence and law enforcement authorities on three continents, U.S. officials said yesterday.
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British Airways announced yesterday the cancellation of four more flights, including Flight 223 today from Heathrow to Dulles -- the same flight that was canceled Thursday and yesterday -- and its return. The other two flights were scheduled for Heathrow and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, today along with a return flight Sunday.
In the past two weeks, the more than 15 flights that have been canceled, delayed, turned around or escorted by U.S. fighter aircraft were identified by an inexact combination of dates, flight numbers and routes obtained through intercepted communications and through interrogations with al Qaeda detainees and other credible informants in U.S. and foreign custody, intelligence officials said.
In some cases, such as the six Air France flights canceled before Christmas, names on the passenger manifest raised suspicions enough to warrant cancellations on routes that already were of concern, officials said.
Quick decisions
Some information used to make a decision to cancel or delay a flight was verified or judged credible only shortly before takeoff or after the plane had departed, said intelligence officials. They described the nature of the hunt as extremely fast-paced and based on fragmentary information.
• Special report: Homeland security
In one example of a quick decision based on fresh intelligence, passengers on a Dulles-to-Heathrow flight were ordered off the plane Thursday by U.S. authorities moments before it was set to leave the gate, officials disclosed yesterday. After all luggage and cargo were removed and screened again, only the luggage was reloaded before the plane was cleared for takeoff nearly four hours later.
In most cases, U.S. authorities insisted the flights be altered or passengers interviewed but gave foreign officials only minimal evidence for actions. U.S. and foreign officials said yesterday that despite the lack of specifics, cooperation between intelligence agencies and aviation officials remains strong.
But some policymakers and airline industry representatives had complained publicly about the cancellations and the significant financial pain they are causing for airlines, as well as the headaches for travelers.
"They provided just generalities and no details of names, groups or circumstances whatsoever," said Agustin Gutierrez Canet, a spokesman for Mexican President Vicente Fox. "The Mexican government had no other option but to cancel the flights. It is the moral responsibility of the United States government to provide more information."
'Legitimate requests'
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, however, called U.S. requests "legitimate."
"It's a time of tension, a time of risk. I prefer the principle of precaution," said Sarkozy, during a tour of Charles de Gaulle International Airport outside Paris, where he assessed security measures in place. "When a large, friendly country asks you to reinforce security measures, and are themselves taking security measures, nobody should reproach them."
One French official said almost daily the Americans raise objections to flights because some passengers have names of people similar or identical to people on the U.S. government's various watch lists.
French officials confirmed a report in yesterday's Wall Street Journal that none of six individuals whose names appeared suspicious to U.S. authorities on the manifests of flights canceled before Christmas turned out to be of interest. One turned out to be a 5-year-old boy with the same name as a suspected Tunisian terrorist, another was an elderly Chinese woman and a third was a Welsh insurance agent.
One passenger who did not show up for the flight has fled and cannot be found, a U.S. intelligence official said. He was described as a male of Middle Eastern descent who is a pilot, according to another U.S. intelligence official. No known terrorist has been on a flight or has been arrested.
U.S. and foreign officials pointed to the frustrating nature of their intelligence in explaining why they could not provide more specifics to foreign airlines or travelers.
Vague intelligence
"Unfortunately, oftentimes the intelligence is vague and al Qaeda does not tell us specifically how, when, where and at what time they're going to hit," Department of Homeland Security spokesman Brian J. Roehrkasse said. "We remain very concerned about al Qaeda's desire to use aircraft as weapons, and we have received credible information about flights originating outside of the United States."
Complete passenger manifest lists are usually not available to U.S. authorities until an hour or less before takeoff. Some airlines do not turn over the complete passenger manifest until the door is "wheels up," or the aircraft is closed, with all passengers on board, and it is headed for the runway for takeoff, said one FBI official. "To the extent we can scrub [names] in advance, we do," the official said.
Intelligence officials, however, said they believed potential hijackers would likely travel under clean aliases. U.S. officials must check manifests using a dozen watch lists because the planned consolidation of such data has yet to be completed.
"Every time you cancel flights, every one indicates a win for the other side," said Doug Laird, an aviation security expert and former director of security for Northwest Airlines. "I don't think canceling flights and rescreening of passengers builds confidence. It does the opposite."
British Airways continues to operate two other daily flights between Heathrow and Dulles, and said it was flying in a larger plane to Dulles yesterday evening to accommodate passengers whose flights were canceled.
Virgin Atlantic, which also flies from Heathrow to Dulles and several other U.S. airports, warned of extensive delays from John F. Kennedy and Newark international airports. United Airlines said its passengers have not undergone additional security screening procedures, nor have any of its domestic or international flights been detained or delayed for security reasons.
Staff writer Robin Wright and correspondents Keith Richburg in Paris and Kevin Sullivan in Mexico City contributed to this report.
© 2003 The Washington Post Company
Crash off Egypt
Searchers scoured the Red Sea after an Egyptian airliner carrying 148 people crashed on Saturday. No survivors found; Government rules out terrorism
<hr>
Three air routes focus of scrutiny
Flight from London to Dulles canceled again By Dana Priest and Sara Kehaulani Goo
Updated: 3:26 a.m. ET Jan. 03, 2004Three international flight routes -- London Heathrow to Dulles International Airport, and Paris and Mexico City to Los Angeles -- are the focus of an intense manhunt for al Qaeda terrorists being carried out by intelligence and law enforcement authorities on three continents, U.S. officials said yesterday.
advertisement
British Airways announced yesterday the cancellation of four more flights, including Flight 223 today from Heathrow to Dulles -- the same flight that was canceled Thursday and yesterday -- and its return. The other two flights were scheduled for Heathrow and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, today along with a return flight Sunday.
In the past two weeks, the more than 15 flights that have been canceled, delayed, turned around or escorted by U.S. fighter aircraft were identified by an inexact combination of dates, flight numbers and routes obtained through intercepted communications and through interrogations with al Qaeda detainees and other credible informants in U.S. and foreign custody, intelligence officials said.
In some cases, such as the six Air France flights canceled before Christmas, names on the passenger manifest raised suspicions enough to warrant cancellations on routes that already were of concern, officials said.
Quick decisions
Some information used to make a decision to cancel or delay a flight was verified or judged credible only shortly before takeoff or after the plane had departed, said intelligence officials. They described the nature of the hunt as extremely fast-paced and based on fragmentary information.
• Special report: Homeland security
In one example of a quick decision based on fresh intelligence, passengers on a Dulles-to-Heathrow flight were ordered off the plane Thursday by U.S. authorities moments before it was set to leave the gate, officials disclosed yesterday. After all luggage and cargo were removed and screened again, only the luggage was reloaded before the plane was cleared for takeoff nearly four hours later.
In most cases, U.S. authorities insisted the flights be altered or passengers interviewed but gave foreign officials only minimal evidence for actions. U.S. and foreign officials said yesterday that despite the lack of specifics, cooperation between intelligence agencies and aviation officials remains strong.
But some policymakers and airline industry representatives had complained publicly about the cancellations and the significant financial pain they are causing for airlines, as well as the headaches for travelers.
"They provided just generalities and no details of names, groups or circumstances whatsoever," said Agustin Gutierrez Canet, a spokesman for Mexican President Vicente Fox. "The Mexican government had no other option but to cancel the flights. It is the moral responsibility of the United States government to provide more information."
'Legitimate requests'
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, however, called U.S. requests "legitimate."
"It's a time of tension, a time of risk. I prefer the principle of precaution," said Sarkozy, during a tour of Charles de Gaulle International Airport outside Paris, where he assessed security measures in place. "When a large, friendly country asks you to reinforce security measures, and are themselves taking security measures, nobody should reproach them."
One French official said almost daily the Americans raise objections to flights because some passengers have names of people similar or identical to people on the U.S. government's various watch lists.
French officials confirmed a report in yesterday's Wall Street Journal that none of six individuals whose names appeared suspicious to U.S. authorities on the manifests of flights canceled before Christmas turned out to be of interest. One turned out to be a 5-year-old boy with the same name as a suspected Tunisian terrorist, another was an elderly Chinese woman and a third was a Welsh insurance agent.
One passenger who did not show up for the flight has fled and cannot be found, a U.S. intelligence official said. He was described as a male of Middle Eastern descent who is a pilot, according to another U.S. intelligence official. No known terrorist has been on a flight or has been arrested.
U.S. and foreign officials pointed to the frustrating nature of their intelligence in explaining why they could not provide more specifics to foreign airlines or travelers.
Vague intelligence
"Unfortunately, oftentimes the intelligence is vague and al Qaeda does not tell us specifically how, when, where and at what time they're going to hit," Department of Homeland Security spokesman Brian J. Roehrkasse said. "We remain very concerned about al Qaeda's desire to use aircraft as weapons, and we have received credible information about flights originating outside of the United States."
Complete passenger manifest lists are usually not available to U.S. authorities until an hour or less before takeoff. Some airlines do not turn over the complete passenger manifest until the door is "wheels up," or the aircraft is closed, with all passengers on board, and it is headed for the runway for takeoff, said one FBI official. "To the extent we can scrub [names] in advance, we do," the official said.
Intelligence officials, however, said they believed potential hijackers would likely travel under clean aliases. U.S. officials must check manifests using a dozen watch lists because the planned consolidation of such data has yet to be completed.
"Every time you cancel flights, every one indicates a win for the other side," said Doug Laird, an aviation security expert and former director of security for Northwest Airlines. "I don't think canceling flights and rescreening of passengers builds confidence. It does the opposite."
British Airways continues to operate two other daily flights between Heathrow and Dulles, and said it was flying in a larger plane to Dulles yesterday evening to accommodate passengers whose flights were canceled.
Virgin Atlantic, which also flies from Heathrow to Dulles and several other U.S. airports, warned of extensive delays from John F. Kennedy and Newark international airports. United Airlines said its passengers have not undergone additional security screening procedures, nor have any of its domestic or international flights been detained or delayed for security reasons.
Staff writer Robin Wright and correspondents Keith Richburg in Paris and Kevin Sullivan in Mexico City contributed to this report.
© 2003 The Washington Post Company