Posted on 08/28/2002 2:47:25 PM PDT by It'salmosttolate
| Rocky Mountain News |
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| URL: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_1352451,00.html |
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.
"Thank you sir, and praise be to Allah."
"Airbus 310, Say what?"
"Hey guys, I think we have a raghead in Airbus 310."
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