US in row with France over terror operation

The Telegraph ^ | 12/25/03 | Telegraph

[Mark Felton]

American and French officials yesterday traded mutual recriminations over the failure to snare any terrorists in the security operation that grounded six Air France flights in and out of Los Angeles.

Bush administration officials expressed frustration that al-Qa'eda operatives might have escaped capture after word leaked, early this week, of American concerns about flights from France to the United States over the Christmas period.

One official said Washington had been hoping to keep the US-French negotiations confidential, adding that the hope was that "we would be able to lure some of these people in".

However, a French interior ministry spokesman said little evidence of a terrorist plot had been found.

French authorities released seven men - one French, one American and several Algerians - whose names were found to be on US watch-lists.

The seven men were all due to board a flight on Wednesday and had been briefly questioned. French authorities found nothing to suggest the men had terrorist links.

A spokesman for the French prime minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, said the decision to cancel the flights came early on Christmas Eve after American authorities notified France that "two or three" suspicious people, possibly Tunisian nationals, were on the manifests of three Los Angeles-bound flights.

M Raffarin's spokesman added that the United States had threatened to refuse the planes permission to land if they took off.

A French judicial official said the name of a Tunisian national with a pilot's licence had appeared on the American list of suspicious people who might attempt to board a flight. But French intelligence officials determined that the man was in Tunisia and had no plans to leave the country.

The official added that the Tunisian had no criminal record and did not belong to any Islamic radical groups.

The cancellations, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, stranded hundreds of passengers on both sides of the Atlantic.

US sources hit back at French scepticism, saying American intelligence agencies had intercepted e-mails from the al-Qa'eda terrorist group suggesting another September 11-style attack was being plotted for the Christmas holiday.

The al-Qa'eda messages referred specifically to Air France and even gave a flight number, officials said. Other warnings have been issued about flights by the Mexican carrier, Aeromexico, it was reported.

US officials said they fear Air France has been infiltrated by Islamic extremists and have criticised French co-operation in providing details of passengers on US-bound flights.

On Monday, the US homeland security secretary, Tom Ridge, raised the nation's terrorist-attack warning level to it's second-highest stage, orange - "high" alert.

Mr Ridge said terrorist "chatter" indicated that "extremists abroad" are anticipating "near-term attacks" that they believe will "rival or exceed" those experienced in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.

Following the cancellations, Los Angeles airport, the nation's second busiest, was put under an extraorinary security clampdown.

Private cars were banned from dropping off passengers or picking them up at terminals and vehicles entering the complex were searched by armed police who used mirrors to inspect the undersides of cars.

The airport was the target of a millennium bomb plot almost four years ago, which was thwarted when one of the bombers was arrested after crossing into the United States from Canada with explosives in his car.

Mobile anti-aircraft missile systems have been deployed around Washington DC, and US and Canadian fighter pilots remain on high alert.

In London, police boosted security around the US embassy. Vehicles more than 7ft wide were restricted from entering surrounding streets late on Christmas Eve.

The precaution was introduced as lorries have been used in suicide attacks around the world, and against British targets in the bombings in Istanbul last month.

A Scotland Yard statement said: "This measure is being carried out in the light of worldwide events, particular current concerns about US interests and the fact that security in London remains at a high level. We would stress that this restriction is being put in place on a precautionary basis.

"We would reiterate our earlier appeals for the public to remain vigilant and aware and report anything suspicious to police."

The so-called "ring of steel" surrounding key sites in the City of London was extended earlier this month.

[recalcitrant]

They are already IN the way.
Don't waste our valuable piss on them.

Lets go straight to subverting and overthrowing their government in a bloody coup d'etat, just as they have backed the terrorists in their attacks on America... and brought us unwarranted deaths and bloodshed...

revisit their transgressions a thousand fold.
I say, our collective piss is a little too diplomatic at this point.

[Imal]

There is more to this story than meets the eye.

While it is possible that everything being reported is true and above-board, this has the look and feel of a public dog-and-pony show to me, and I suspect that this is just the tip of a very large, fascinating and covert iceberg of a counterterrorism operation currently underway.

I love to bash France as much as the next guy, but the truth is that we are actually pretty tight with them on the counterterrorism and intelligence fronts. Not in lockstep, to be sure, but much tighter than is being played out here.

Sure, maybe us and France really are as incompetent as this news story arc suggests, but I'll need a lot more proof of it than this.

As Paul Harvey might say: Stand by for NEWS!

[JustPiper]

Thats because Saddam's $$ is all wrapped up in France

[JustPiper]

Your right we don't need American's going to stinkin' France anyway!

[texasflower]

I was one of the ones that loved your post, which is now your tagline. I just thought I would tell you that I told my family about it at the Christmas gathering today when the subject of Kadhafi came up. They thought it was hilarious too!!

[staytrue]

The seven men were all due to board a flight on Wednesday

Has anyone calculated the odds that these particular seven men all decided to go to LA on the same day on the same flight ?

My guess is that I have a better chance at winning powerball.

[My Dog Likes Me]

Excellent point.
If they were ALL on the watch list, and then ALL appear on the passenger manifest for this particular flight, then that's more than coincidence.
I've never forgiven the French for what they did to Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman at Devil's Island, anyways.

[MeekOneGOP]

[Beck_isright]

"France is now our enemy."

Agreed.

[steveegg]

Nice, er, sign ;-)

[dyed_in_the_wool]

You forgot their arming of Iraq leading up to the war.
Russia sent military advisers as well (who are still scratching their heads over our swift victory).

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if Libya was the conduit of arms to Iraq from France.
Qaddafi ain't dumb. France couldn't protect him from Reagan, they sure as hell won't help now.

[samtheman]

They are, without a single doubt, the most useless group of people on the face of the earth.

Your words made my day. Thanks!

[thecanuck]

I'm with you on this one. The value in letting any would be hijacker go free(probably the dumbest and lowest on the AQ ladder)comes in what they say and do immediately afterward. If they become a real threat or once their intelligence value is done, they will be dealt with in a way that sends a message to AQ but not necessarily you or I.

[Diogenesis]

========= IRAQI WEAPONS from France USED Against US and Coalition Heroes ========

French missiles were found by the Poles, and to protect France, blown up.

The pompous froggies said they did not say "2003". Decide for yourself.

[RinaseaofDs]

Now wait just a freaking minute.

France has produced some of the world's finest prostitutes. It's beaches are excellent for landing ground forces.

It just pains me to see an entire country smeared by the actions of a few. /s.o.

[NYC GOP Chick]

I was one of the ones that loved your post, which is now your tagline. I just thought I would tell you that I told my family about it at the Christmas gathering today when the subject of Kadhafi came up. They thought it was hilarious too!!

Well, thank you very much! You just made me smile -- I'm glad that I was able to make you guys laugh a little. :)

[CWOJackson]

If France doesn't want to screen their flights then we should escort every arriving French flight with an armed F-16 then present them with the bill.

[Ben Chad]

Inspector Clouseau bump

[Physicist]

Has anyone calculated the odds that these particular seven men all decided to go to LA on the same day on the same flight ?

Can't say without knowing how large the watch list is, how many people fly in France, and how the watch lists are selected (probably a closely guarded secret). If one of the criteria for appearing on the watch list is taking frequent international flights, for example, the odds might not be that slim, as you've selected a sample of people who are likely to fly.

Odds be damned, I say. Let there be an obvious and innocent explanation, even. If it smells wrong to our investigators, the planes don't fly, period.

It's very gratifying that our national "immune system" caught such a subtle pattern in advance.

[San Jacinto]

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a plot to fly these planes from L.A. to Las Vegas and crash them into targets once they were refueled for the return flights. Perhaps there is more information yet to come on this story.

In any event, I trust the Bush Administration a lot more than I trust the French authorities to uncover these murderers.