US agents search BA jet at Washington airport (about 1 hour ago)

Reuters ^ | 1/1/04

[areafiftyone]

WASHINGTON, Dec 31 (Reuters) - U.S. security officials detained a British Airways Boeing 747 on arrival at a Washington, D.C., airport on Wednesday and spent several hours searching it and questioning some passengers, the Department of Homeland Security said.

Department spokeswoman Rachael Sunbarger told Reuters that BA Flight 223 to Dulles Airport from London was "detained and remains on the tarmac for further screening." She gave no further details.

An FBI spokeswoman said agents were "on scene" at Dulles International Airport outside Washington questioning some passengers, adding that it was "routine" questioning and that no arrests had been made.

"There are a number of passengers on that British Airways flight that law enforcement officials wanted to speak with and those interviews are being conducted," said the spokeswoman who asked not to be named.

Local media reported the plane, carrying 247 passengers and 17 crew, landed at 7:06 p.m. EST/0006 GMT. The reports said those on board were ferried to the terminal building about three hours later.

The United States raised its terror alert to its second highest level 10 days ago, citing the possibility of terror attacks over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

U.S. officials say they believe al Qaeda, blamed for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon using hijacked planes, is plotting further hijackings.

Last week six Air France flights between Paris and Los Angeles were canceled when U.S. intelligence warned French authorities that the passenger lists included suspicious names.

[ClancyJ]

No - they did not pick this plane for a drill.

They had reason to do what they did. I feel they were expecting someone they were really interested in, in flight they found he was not aboard and they are trying to determine where he is or how he plans to come in the country.

A lot of this is to catch suspected terrorists as they try and get in the country but don't expect them to lay it out for us.

[HiTech RedNeck]

But screening every bloomin' man, woman, and child on the plane... they have some idea who this person might be? Why would we go screening black men and white girls for a middle eastern born terrorist. Other than political correctness, that is.

[null and void]

Maybe not to tip their hand as to the precise intel we have?

[liberallyconservative]

Actually, CNN (I know, flame away if you want, but at that time, no one else was reporting) scrolled across the bottom that the cheese cutter incident was on board a flight at Logan. Didn't catch if the flight originated there or landed there.

[ClancyJ]

Because these terrorists will use anybody or anything to get their goal - killing Americans.

Sure as we skip the old ladies, we skip the white women, we skip the Chinese, they will use those very types as entries. Who says they could not grab a grandmother and threaten her grandchildren unless she did what they said.

Remember - think outside the box, screen ALL entries, and take nothing for granted. The goal is the safety of our people, not how fast it can be done.

[maestro]

Remember - think outside the box, screen ALL entries, and take nothing for granted. The goal is the safety of our people, not how fast it can be done.

Right!

Happy New Year!!!

(St.John 8:12)

[Amelia]

But screening every bloomin' man, woman, and child on the plane... they have some idea who this person might be? Why would we go screening black men and white girls for a middle eastern born terrorist. Other than political correctness, that is.

If you read the whole thing, they apparently were doing a cursory screening of those holding U.S. passports, and more extensive questioning of others.

A middle-eastern-looking woman was mentioned as being singled out for questioning by four agents.

They seem to have a clue.

[Prodigal Son]

What else could it be if not a terrorism threat?

BA pilots are the ones raising the big stink about having armed sky marshalls. It was probably less about terrorism than simple harrassment.

[null and void]

Oh we would never do that!

(Remembering the ONE poisoned grape we found in a shipment from a then uncoöperative Colombia...)