Canada received warnings about threats to airliners, official says

yahoo ^ | 2/24/04

[knak]

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada has received warnings about terror threats to airliners, a senior security official told a Senate committee Monday.

Robert Wright, national security adviser to Prime Minister Paul Martin, told the national security and defence committee that there have been specific warnings about civil airliners. He would not give any details.

He said the threats have been dealt with by police, but he urged the senators to approve new legislation which would give police advance information about passengers on both domestic flights and flights to destinations other than the U.S.

Information on passengers flying to the U.S. is already provided to American authorities.

Senator Colin Kenny, the committee chairman, favours tighter security measures.

"We're aware of threats that have taken place," he said. "There were some flights that were diverted in the last 60 days.

"This is obviously an ongoing concern for Canadians that we have to deal with."

Several transatlantic flights by British Airways, Air France and Continental Airlines have been cancelled in recent months by American security worries.

In October, an El Al flight to Toronto was twice diverted because of an unspecified threat. The plane landed first in Montreal, then in Hamilton, before continuing on to its final destination in Los Angeles.

"We've had tragedy strike too often to take chances," Kenny said.

He said he wants to see double cockpit doors on all flights into Canada and searches of all flight line workers.

"We think that the RCMP should be in charge of airport security."

He also said airport security personnel who search passengers should come under Anne McLellan's public security portfolio, rather than the Transport Department.