Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

F-16s trail Saudi prince's jet over state
www.insidedenver.com ^ | August 27, 2002 | Dick Foster, Rocky Mountain News

Posted on 08/28/2002 2:47:25 PM PDT by It'salmosttolate

F-16s trail Saudi prince's jet over state

By Dick Foster, Rocky Mountain News
August 27, 2002

A half-dozen military groups and federal agencies joined forces in the mysterious interception of a private airliner carrying a Saudi prince to Grand Junction Monday afternoon.

Two Colorado Air National Guard F-16 jet fighters were scrambled from Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora early Monday afternoon and shadowed the plane to Grand Junction, said NORAD spokesman Maj. Barry Venable.

When it was over, none of the agencies, which included the FBI, Federal Aviation Administration, NORAD, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Transportation Security Administration and the Colorado National Guard, would say why it happened.

The plane, a privately owned Airbus 310 airliner, reportedly chartered to a Saudi Arabian prince, had departed Bangor, Maine, for Grand Junction, where the prince and his entourage usually land for a motorcade to his residence in Aspen. The jet is too large to land at Aspen's Sardy Field.

The FAA notified NORAD after the plane left Bangor and asked that it be intercepted and escorted to its destination.

"Our air traffic control people specifically requested that two F-16s escort this plane down to Grand Junction," said FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer.

Asked why, Kenitzer said, "There's not a lot we can give you on that."

The two fighters ushered the Airbus to Walker Field, where it landed about 1:45 p.m., said airport spokesman Charlie Novinskie. Once on the ground, the plane was held at one end of the airport while agents from the INS, TSA and FBI boarded it.

"Whatever the problem was, it was over in a hurry. They were only out there about 45 minutes and then taxied to the terminal," Novinskie said. "It seems to me like it might have been just some kind of paperwork issue where somebody wanted to check the paperwork that was filed. If it were much more than that, they'd probably still be parked on our taxiway and wouldn't be allowed to go anywhere."

FBI Special Agent Ann Atanasio said the FBI had not requested the FAA to intercept the plane.

The INS and TSA could not be reached for comment.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-28 last
To: It'salmosttolate
Rocky Mountain News
 
To print this page, select File then Print from your browser
URL: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_1352451,00.html
Prince's jet shadowed by U.S. fighters

By Ellen Miller, Special To The News
August 28, 2002

GRAND JUNCTION - The plane tailed by two F-16 fighter jets into the Grand Junction airport Monday was picking up six children of Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan for a flight to President Bush's Texas ranch, administration officials said Tuesday.

The private plane was chartered by the government of Saudi Arabia for a meeting between Bush and the prince, the kingdom's ambassador. Prince Bandar's children joined him at the summit.

After raising suspicions, the plane was escorted by fighter jets across Colorado airspace Monday.

Prince Bandar owns a 55,000- square-foot mansion in the exclusive Starwood subdivision of Aspen, and his crews often bring his plane in to transport him and his family.

The incident remained something of a mystery Tuesday at Walker Field Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration had ordered the Colorado Air National Guard fighter jet escort of the Airbus 310.

"We don't know why the FAA acted this time, and I doubt the FAA will ever tell us," said Charlie Novinskie, spokesman for the airport authority.

The FAA refused comment. Scott Weber, assistant director for investigations at the Immigration and Naturalization Service office in Denver, said someone at Walker Field called the INS office in Grand Junction saying a Saudi-registered plane was coming in.

"Once the plane landed, we interviewed the crew," Weber said. "Of the eight crew members aboard, seven were foreign nationals."

Weber said the plane, its crew and documents had been inspected at a Maine airport earlier Monday.

Novinskie said he didn't know who at the airport called the INS, except it wasn't the airport authority.

The prince and his luxurious transport are familiar sights at the Grand Junction airport.

The prince makes numerous trips to Aspen every year.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright 2002, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.

21 posted on 08/28/2002 3:57:27 PM PDT by SMEDLEYBUTLER
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: It'salmosttolate
Not only does Bush lick Saudi boots, but he provides them with a full military escort!
22 posted on 08/28/2002 4:00:32 PM PDT by Guillermo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SMEDLEYBUTLER
I wonder if the whole "ranch" shut down while this "Prince" was there for "prayer time".
23 posted on 08/28/2002 4:02:26 PM PDT by Guillermo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: SMEDLEYBUTLER
Well, isn't that just ducky, "the prince makes numerous trips to Aspen every year." They take everything they can get from us, including snow, and then they crap all over us.
24 posted on 08/28/2002 4:05:44 PM PDT by CdMGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: ravingnutter
I hear it was a way of sending a signal to the prince.
25 posted on 08/28/2002 4:08:55 PM PDT by ItisaReligionofPeace
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ItisaReligionofPeace
A radar lock followed by a debris field covering a few hundred square miles is the best means of sending a signal to Saudi or other Islamic Monarch's. It seems to be the prefered method of signaling the rest of the world when they have something to say.
26 posted on 08/28/2002 5:48:37 PM PDT by blackdog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: blackdog
Standard fare for Aspen I am afraid.
27 posted on 08/28/2002 8:48:02 PM PDT by smoking camels
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: nevergore
"Airbus 310, you're cleared for takeoff"

"Thank you sir, and praise be to Allah."

"Airbus 310, Say what?"

"Hey guys, I think we have a raghead in Airbus 310."

28 posted on 08/29/2002 7:45:32 AM PDT by aShepard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-28 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson