Air France Cancels U.S.-Bound Flights Over Security [flight to LA grounded due to terror warning]

Reuters ^ | 12/24/2003

[yonif]

PARIS (Reuters) - France said Wednesday that national carrier Air France had canceled three U.S.-bound flights from Paris due to security concerns. The French interior ministry said the flights were canceled at the request of the U.S. embassy in Paris. The United States is on a heightened state of alert ahead of Christmas and the Washington Post reported that foreign airlines were under particular scrutiny.

An Air France spokeswoman confirmed that a flight due to leave Paris at 1235 GMT for Los Angeles had been grounded "for security reasons."

The French prime minister's office said the cancellations had been prompted by information obtained from anti-terrorism operations. An interior ministry spokesman said that two other flights to the United States had also been canceled. It was not clear whether these flights were bound for Los Angeles or elsewhere.

The U.S. government raised its terror alert to the second highest level Sunday and warned Americans there was a high risk of attacks around the holidays in the United States that could be bigger than those of September 11, 2001.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that new U.S. intelligence had prompted greater scrutiny into whether foreign airports and airlines pose a security threat.

U.S. security officials were thoroughly checking the identities of foreign flight crews and had questioned a few people with names that appeared to be similar to those on the FBI's "watch lists" of suspects, the report said, citing administration sources.

Officials declined to identify the air carriers involved, the newspaper reported.

Passengers coming into at least one major U.S. international airport on Air France and flights from Mexico will be subject to more security procedures beginning Wednesday, the report said, citing industry sources.

France has not raised its security alert for the Christmas holiday period.

[nmh]

" ... canceled at the request of the U.S. embassy in Paris."

Atleast the U.S. is on their toes. The French could care less. I'm just thankful that they agreed to the U.S. request. That country is crawling with Muslims and French who despise U.S..

[nmh]

" ... canceled at the request of the U.S. embassy in Paris."

At least the U.S. is on their toes. The French could care less. I'm just thankful that they agreed to the U.S. request. That country is crawling with Muslims and French who despise U.S..

Just a thought but maybe they honored our request with the hope of getting contracts with Iraq reconstruction and make up for their financial lo$$. That IS why they opposed the war over there. Such lovely people ... .

[CWOJackson]

"I'm just thankful that they agreed to the U.S. request."

Probably didn't want to see which would prove the better...a French built Airbus or an American made Patriot.

[Mike Darancette]

I wonder if the Embassy Spooks found some fault with the assigned Air France flight crews?

[OneTimeLurker]

Don't be repugnant. They cancelled the flight because of a credible threat. They don't want their planes falling out of the sky anymore than anybody else. If we received credible information from the French government we would do the same. That's how the real world operates and not the "freedom fry" world.

[Sacajaweau]

You're right that they particularly mentioned the crews rather than passengers.

BE A LERT....the world needs more lerts

[Digger]

The U.S. government raised its terror alert to the second highest level Sunday and warned Americans there was a high risk of attacks around the holidays in the United States that could be bigger than those of September 11, 2001

How are they going to top this next year? Oh, the elections will be over. All pols will be back in office at higher % than the members in the old Soviet Union, working on how to spend your money & raise their salaries.

[hotpotato]

I'm just thankful that they agreed to the U.S. request.

Why would they do otherwise? Have you *really* thought about the consequences should the French ignore a US request based on what they believe is credible info that turned out to be true? What sane administration would allow an at-risk flight to fly out of their own country upon receiving such a warning?

[cynicom]

Remember we are talking about the French.

[Kay Soze]

But I thought riding Afghanistan of the Taliban, capturing Saddam would put an end to all this?

If W was really serious about the war on terror he just needs to look around his living room at all the Saudi faces visiting him and his family.

Then go the Bekka valley.

Opening the Border to mexico is NOT the answer.

[cgk]

From the CNN article here...

Another government source told CNN there was uncorroborated intelligence mentioning Rappahannock in Virginia. But County Administrator John McCarthy said he was puzzled by the reference to his county of about 7,000 people, "with twice that many cattle" located about 70 miles south of Washington.

Does that strike anyone else as a strange aside in a terrorism/security concerns article considering we are facing the first EVER case of Mad Cow disease in the US?

[Headfulofghosts]

Specific Intell, the threat was precise. This was probably along the lines of what happened, US intelligence has a watchlist, which has stopped about a dozen or so people from entering the US recently. The intelligence was probably gathered from a passenger list, or a maintence list, meaning maybe that someone had done something before the plane had been boarded, ex. food services, cleaners....., or even that someone was to be checking in.

[saquin]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28192-2003Dec24.html

"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security had been meeting with French officials in recent days over concerns about a possible terrorist attack.

One U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. government had been trying to keep the negotiations with France confidential, "hoping that we would be able to lure some of these people in."

The official said there was some frustration within the Department of Homeland Security that the flights were canceled, thus allowing the word to get out about the security concerns."

[saquin]

BTW, these were apparently not flights in which take-offs were imminent and they were cancelled at the last minute. These were 6 different flights scheduled for today and tomorrow.

"The flights scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday were called off because of information obtained "in the framework of the French-American fight against terrorism," the French prime minister's office said."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28192-2003Dec24.html

[saquin]

One more snippet of info:

"Three of the flights were scheduled to depart Wednesday -- two from Paris and one from Los Angeles. Air France gave the flight numbers as 68, 69 and 70.

The three other flights were scheduled to leave on Christmas Day -- two from Los Angeles and one from Paris. Air France listed those flight numbers as 68, 69 and 71."

[Guillermo]

But I thought riding (sic) Afghanistan of the Taliban, capturing Saddam would put an end to all this?

What Idiot told you this would be the case?

[Geronimo]

News update: US officials asked Air France to cancel the flights because of a "credible threat" that an Al Qaeda operative had infiltrated one of them, Reuters is reporting...

boston.com

[EGPWS]

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that new U.S. intelligence had prompted greater scrutiny into whether foreign airports and airlines pose a security threat.

There must be a very potent lead(s) that created this increase in security level.

I got called to work at MSP today and the security vehicles on the ramp are very abundant, with some stopping along the runway long enough for aircraft to land and then they move on.

Strange.

[ChefKeith]

paris to LAX...? right past Vegas, how conveinent.

2nd biggest vacation spot in the U.S. and lots of people & money to destroy.