'Real and Definite Threat' Caused BA Flight Cancellation

The Scotsman ^ | Jan 02 2004 | By Caroline Gammell, PA News

[Dog]

'Real and Definite Threat' Caused BA Flight Cancellation

By Caroline Gammell, PA News

The cancellation of British Airways flight BA223 from Heathrow to Washington was caused by a “real and definite threat”, a defence expert warned today.

The plane had already started checking in passengers and was due to leave at 3.05pm.

But BA announced it had been cancelled at 1.15pm – less than two hours before take off – for security reasons.

Paul Beaver, a defence analyst, said: “This is certainly unusual. The intelligence is very, very precise which is why this one flight has been cancelled.

“We have got intelligence, I am told, that there was a plan to take the aircraft and destroy it over Washington or fly it into something.

“Washington is the definite target.”

Mr Beaver said the information passed on to BA via the Government was likely to have come from American intelligence.

“All I know is there is a real and definite threat.”

He went on: “There is good and precise intelligence that there is more than one al Qaida or al Qaida-like group operating against the US.

“One is based in central America and the other is based in Europe – in London or Paris.”

Mr Beaver said it was not known whether operatives in these potential terror cells are carrying legal British passports.

Yesterday’s flight BA223 was also cancelled several hours before it was scheduled to depart after BA received “security advice” from the Government.

On New Year’s Eve, the same flight had been kept on the runway for three hours after landing at Washington Dulles International Airport to allow security officials to board the plane and question passengers.

The Boeing 747 was escorted into Dulles by two F-16 fighter jets.

An Aeromexico flight from Mexico City to Los Angeles was also cancelled after US authorities refused to allow it to land.

Flight 490 was cancelled after Homeland Security officials said they were concerned it might be a safety risk, said a spokesman for Mexico’s President Vicente Fox.

[KQQL]

In December six Air France flights from Paris to Los Angeles were grounded, at the request of the US.

The French government now believes the FBI had wrongly identified six passengers as potential terrorists, partly because of mistakes translating Arabic names.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3362043.stm

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I wonder what really is going on?

[nwctwx]

Trust me, I do not underestimate them one bit. You are right about reaction time, the plan sounds plausible. I still think they would need to subdue the passengers (gas?) to pull it off. As far as the Twin Towers, I bet AQ knew that they had a damn good chance to bring them both down (they believed the truck bomb would do it in 93 – learned from the mistakes and went at it from a different angle). The way the structure was built, it could not stand the fire from those full transcontinental planes. It was an ingenious plan.

[Anti-McGovern]

Airburst would be more inherently more destructive (blast and heat effects). However, if plane is contrained to Dulles landing pattern, they would be able to detonate it w.in range to do much harm to the Federal core of DC--assuming suitcase nuke.

[cartoonistx]

I would have to bet that the FBI is scouring BA's flight crew rosters for any possible ringers.

The FBI has very little "scouring" ability in France or Venezeula these days!

[i are a cowboy]

The take over of an American airliner these days would be difficult or more probably impossible after 9/11. However, the take over of a foriegn aircraft might be some what easier because there would be fewer Americans on board. This is just my take on their mind set.

[bootless]

I keep thinking about the back door into the plane: from the ramp. Baggage handlers, cleaning crews, caterers.

[debg]

[nwctwx]

Here is a stupid question .. God forbid .. but what if an f-16 had to take out a plane over a residential or business district? .. How many buildings on the ground would be destroyed? .. these people are on a suicide mission any way we look at it ..

That would be a horrible scenario, I hope it never happens.. It *could* take a lot of innocents on the ground with it depending on where it was shot down I would assume. Let's hope we never see it happen, shooting down one of our own planes would destroy the airline industry. You think people are afraid to fly now?

[Cap Huff]

If I recall correctly, Dulles is just around the corner from McLean, VA --- and we all know what agency has their headquarters there.

[texasbluebell]

Have you seen this yet?

[nwctwx]

I keep thinking about the back door into the plane: from the ramp. Baggage handlers, cleaning crews, caterers.

I keep thinking about those "stowaways." Then I think about what kind of access someone could get as far as the ventilation system of the plane. Has there been any follow up on these stories?

[fivecatsandadog]

Right now, all I can say is "thank God" (and Pres. Bush) we are finally making it a little tougher for AQ and the like to complete an attack. So, when are we going to open the industrial size can of Texas "whoop-a$$" and close the borders?

[nicmarlo]

interesting thread and info. thanks for the link.

[freeperfromnj]

Flights Disrupted by Terror Concerns

By The Associated Press

January 2, 2004, 2:01 PM EST

WASHINGTON -- Flights that have been disrupted by terror concerns over the New Year's holiday:

* British Airways 223 Wednesday night from London to Washington was detained for several hours at Dulles International Airport as FBI and Homeland Security officials questioned passengers.

* AeroMexico 490 from Mexico City to Los Angeles was canceled Wednesday.

* AeroMexico 490 from Mexico City to Los Angeles was also canceled Thursday.

* British Airways 223 from London to Washington was canceled Thursday.

* British Airways 222 from Washington to London was canceled Thursday.

* Air France 3112, bound for Paris from New York, made an unscheduled landing in Canada on Thursday so its luggage could be checked.

* British Airways 216 Thursday night from Washington to London was delayed and passengers re-screened for security reasons before the flight departed.

* British Airways 223 from London to Washington was canceled Friday.

[sweetliberty]

"wasn't there a recent report of them actually being pilots working for the BA .. or others airlines ?"

Entirely possible. We know how fond the Europeans seem to be of the Islamo-crazies.

[Sender]

If they put anything radioactive on a plane, I would hope that there are instruments on the ground looking for this...

[Dog]

* Air France 3112, bound for Paris from New York, made an unscheduled landing in Canada on Thursday so its luggage could be checked.

Interesting..... wonder what they were looking for.

[jstolzen]

The threat date is actually <= 2/4, which coincides with the Islamic holy time and "day of sacrifice" (2/1)? There's a website that shows the countdown, along with a clip of various Hollywood movies (eg: Deep Impact) showing America's destruction. Oh, and there's a bunch of Islamic chanting in the background for the soundtrack.

MERI discounted the "countdown" threat, but AQ has "officially" said that the next attack will be "between the 2 ids" - check:

http://www.why-war.com/news/2003/09/21/alqaidas.html

For more.

The video and countdown website is very chilling, but could've just as easily been put together by any Islamic high school or college student as psyops.

These terrorists are really beginning to tweak me off! Hopefully we are not playing by the rules or "nice" (aka 9th Circuit BS) when we catch the bad guys in the US. (Actually, knowing Rumsfeld, these guys are off US soil and are being "coerced" in a very not-so-nice way to spill the beans).

[LikeLight]

Nice summary, Jersey . . .