Capital Threat; Al Qaeda Concerns Led to Cancellations of London-Washington Flights

ABCnews.com ^ | Jan. 2, 2004 | ABC News

[Rutles4Ever]

Jan. 2 — The decision to cancel some British Airways flights on the London-Washington route in the last two days was based in part on information that a team of al Qaeda operatives planned to take over a flight during the New Year's period and crash it into the U.S. capital, ABCNEWS has learned.

On New Year's Day and again today, British Airways canceled Flight 223 from London's Heathrow Airport to Washington Dulles International Airport, and the return flight from Washington to London was canceled Thursday evening, as terror concerns continue to disrupt international air travel.

The airline announced today it was canceling Saturday's flight, BA263, from Heathrow to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for security reasons. It did not elaborate.

ABCNEWS has learned that the cancellations on the London-Washington route were due to information from a "human source" overseas and analysis of other intelligence. The human source, whose credibility U.S. officials have been unable to confirm, said plans were in place to specifically take over Flight 223 and crash it into Washington.

An intelligence source told ABCNEWS that law enforcement officers had been scouring British Airways manifests in recent days.

British defense analyst Paul Beaver also said said intelligence sources told him that Flight 223 has been specifically targeted by terrorists, with the goal being an attack on Washington.

"There seems to be very hard intelligence coming from the United States that there is a serious threat to Flight 223 — the British Airways flight," Beaver said. "It's flight-related, not passenger-related or freight-related. And this is related to something which may be targeted in the Washington area — some sort of spectacular … either flying the aircraft into something or detonating it over Washington itself."

On Wednesday, New Year's Eve, the same flight was kept on the runway for three hours after landing at Dulles while security officials questioned passengers on board. The jet had been escorted to the airport by two U.S. F-16 fighters.

A later London-Washington British Airways flight, BA225, was allowed to make the trip today, with many people from the earlier canceled flight on board.

[Rutles4Ever]

My apologies -- Flight 223, not 233.

[KantianBurke]

the same flight was kept on the runway for three hours after landing at Dulles while security officials questioned passengers on board.

[Howlin]

They know something.

[CindyDawg]

I don't doubt they would like another shot at it but if so why did we allow the plane to land instead of having the pilot turn back. Besides, I doubt the bad guys would do this on a weekend. I still think the Feds are trying to stop terrorists from entering for something else.

[JennysCool]

or detonating it over Washington itself.

Hmmm...

[leadpenny]

Even ABC would not put this out unless they were asked to.

Lots of disinformation going on, imo, and I hope we keep it up.

[Rebelbase]

Saddened................................Saddened.....................................Saddened.

[Admin Moderator]

Please use original titles when posting articles.

[Rutles4Ever]

How does "disinformation" like this help?

[leadpenny]

Should still be Breaking News, don't ya think?

[leadpenny]

confuse and confound

[Howlin]

BA 217 coming right at you right now.

http://www.cheaptickets.com/trs/cheaptickets/flighttracker/flight_tracker_graphic.xsl

[Howlin]

Hmmmm is right.

[leadpenny]

ducking.

[Rutles4Ever]

The only ones they're confusing and confounding is the public. Why?

[Rutles4Ever]

I agree. I think this should be breaking news. This "hijacking" scenario was not reported until now...

[Howlin]

Fox going live; the plane has an escort.

[leadpenny]

It's not being done to confuse us. Unintended consequence.

[KC_Conspirator]

This is a good intelligence victory for Bush, the American people, and western civilization in general.