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Terror plot to attack US with BA jets
The Sunday Times (UK) ^ | 1/04/03 | Davis Leppard

Posted on 01/03/2004 4:35:03 PM PST by saquin

An Al-Qaeda suicide plot to hijack several passenger jets simultaneously — including a British Airways flight — and crash them into high-profile American targets has been uncovered by the security services.

The American capital and nuclear power stations on the country’s East Coast are said to have been among the terrorists’ potential targets.

The September 11-style plot explains the grounding of 10 US-bound flights across the world over the seasonal break.

According to a senior intelligence source, an informant tipped off authorities the weekend before Christmas. He claimed that Islamic extremists intended to hijack flights operated by BA, Air France and AeroMexico, the Mexican national carrier.

The informant said that as well as targeting Washington, New York and Los Angeles, the terrorists were planning to launch a strike on an oil terminal in Alaska. A CIA assessment of his information subsequently identified nuclear plants on the eastern coast of America as possible targets.

Detailed security checks were conducted on all US-bound flights operated by the three carriers after the intelligence emerged about the alleged plot. All passenger lists were cross-checked against an FBI watchlist of known terrorist suspects.

As a result, 10 US-bound flights were grounded: two BA flights to Washington, two AeroMexico flights from Mexico City to LA and six Air France flights from Paris to LA. At least three other flights were escorted into American airports by F-16 fighter jets and one Mexican airliner was even forced to turn back in mid-air.

BA also grounded two flights to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which were due to fly on New Year’s Eve and yesterday afternoon. It is understood that these cancellations related to separate intelligence.

Although flight 223, BA’s service to Washington, was cleared by British officials for take-off yesterday afternoon after being cancelled for two days running, the United States was still not satisfied, leaving it delayed on the runway for 3½ hours while the 225 passengers were subjected to additional questioning on board.

The aircraft eventually took off at 6.30pm and was due to arrive at Washington Dulles airport at 2.10am today.

Intelligence sources yesterday confirmed that the cancellation of the US-bound services was triggered by information provided by an informant “outside the US”. The warning was of an imminent attack on American soil with Washington, Los Angeles and New York identified as targets.

It is thought that another target was the Alaskan port of Valdez, the terminal for an 800-mile pipeline which carries 17% of America’s domestic oil supply. The informant also named specific routes and flight numbers, including BA223, as part of the hijack plot. It is understood that intercepts of communications between known terrorist suspects also suggested the significant risk of an attack.

On the same weekend that the intelligence was received from the informant, Tom Ridge, the US homeland security secretary, raised the security threat for US citizens to “code orange”, the second highest level. He said that the country faced the risk of a terror strike which “could either rival or exceed” September 11.

All passenger lists on the jets believed to be potential targets were checked. Valdez was put on high alert and the transfer of oil to tankers was suspended. Some passengers listed on Air France flights to LA appeared to match suspects on the terror watchlist and six flights were cancelled on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. One passenger who had a similar name to a Tunisian terrorist turned out to be a five-year-old child.

French security officials insisted that the decision to ground the planes was taken on the basis of “significant intelligence”. One of the passengers who failed to turn up was a trained pilot from the Middle East who has since disappeared and cannot be traced, according to US intelligence sources.

Checks on the British passenger lists revealed other apparent matches with names on the terror watchlist, but none is thought to have been confirmed.

Spurious matches are not uncommon because of the similarity of many Arabic names. As well as checks on specific aircraft, new security measures were implemented. The British government said last Sunday that armed air marshals would be deployed on US-bound flights where needed.

David Blunkett, the home secretary, wants to hold an urgent meeting of the British and American “contact group”, which contains security and intelligence officials, police and politicians from the two countries.

There are signs of tension between London and Washington over the extent to which Britain follows every command from the United States after terror alerts. “The notion that the US can bounce the rest of us into cancelling flights all the time needs to be addressed,” said one British minister.

Yesterday passengers checking in for BA flight 223 to Washington Dulles airport said that they were not deterred by the security alert surrounding the service.

Ralph Hodgson, 58, a businessman from Newcastle, said: “I’ve absolutely no worries at all about getting on this flight. I think if anything’s going to happen, if your number’s called, then your number’s going to be called.”

In a separate security alert BA’s flight to Riyadh was cancelled for the second time in four days after intelligence reports relating to a potential surface-to-air missile attack on a British carrier.

This weekend government officials were believed to be advising the Saudi authorities on measures to improve ground security at Riyadh airport.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: airlinesecurity; ba; ba223; iad; lax; lhr; oil; oilterminals; terrorism; valdez
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To: Bubba_Leroy
My blood boils at the though of a terrorist trying to take over a plane I am on. I have a mental picture of me (a 63 year old woman) attacking them with whatever I could find ( knitting needles etc.). I am sure all the strong young men would be on him first. I could see 20 or 30 old women taking the suckers down. LOL!
41 posted on 01/03/2004 5:45:33 PM PST by Ditter
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To: FairOpinion
London (Heathrow), England Washington (Dulles Int'l), DC
Scheduled Time: 3:05 PM, Jan 03 6:20 PM, Jan 03
Actual Time: 6:28 PM, Jan 03 9:05 PM, Jan 03 (Estimated)
Status: In air at an altitude of 38000 feet and ground speed of 481 KTS
Equipment: B744


9:05 now, i'm tracking it too
42 posted on 01/03/2004 5:47:04 PM PST by ZAKJAN
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Comment #43 Removed by Moderator

To: mr extremist
Or a nuclear bomb given to al-qaida by Pakistan, Iran, Russia or North Korea. Those countries that Bush is too reluctant to strike militarily.

You would like the US to strike these four countries? Simultaneously, or can we do it one at a time? Do we pull our military out of Afghanistan and Iraq to strike them now or should we wait until they've finished the job in those places first? Should we ask for help or go it alone? Are you going to enlist or should we reinstate the draft? Just trying to get a handle on your scenerio. (roll eyes)

44 posted on 01/03/2004 5:48:08 PM PST by tsmith130
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To: Ditter
I see 63 y/os taking them down :')
45 posted on 01/03/2004 5:48:15 PM PST by CindyDawg
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To: blam
[One of the passengers who failed to turn up was a trained pilot from the Middle East who has since disappeared and cannot be traced, according to US intelligence sources. ]

Yes. And the reason he didn't show up is because the duplicitous French had ANNOUNCED that the flight was cancelled.

46 posted on 01/03/2004 5:49:26 PM PST by Mad_Tom_Rackham ("...the right of THE PEOPLE to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.")
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To: LuigiBasco
Since his sign up date is Jan 4 2004 he must be from France!

???

47 posted on 01/03/2004 5:51:31 PM PST by Mad_Tom_Rackham ("...the right of THE PEOPLE to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.")
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To: Ditter
sorry, knitting needles are not allowed on an airplane. You have to think about something else? :-)
48 posted on 01/03/2004 5:53:07 PM PST by americanbychoice
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Comment #49 Removed by Moderator

To: Mad_Tom_Rackham
"Yes. And the reason he didn't show up is because the duplicitous French had ANNOUNCED that the flight was cancelled."

Stupid SOBing French.

50 posted on 01/03/2004 5:56:40 PM PST by blam
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To: Mad_Tom_Rackham
mr extremist
Since Jan 4, 2004

Europe is a day ahead of us.
It's tomorrow there!
51 posted on 01/03/2004 5:58:45 PM PST by LuigiBasco
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To: americanbychoice
sorry, knitting needles are not allowed on an airplane

Unless there has been a recent rule change, knitting needles are *specifically* allowed. That is, the term "knitting needles" appears as a permitted item, in TSA's rules.

But, a 2" long screwdriver (that is not part of an eyeglasses kit) is forbidden. I had to give one of those up in Fort Wayne.

52 posted on 01/03/2004 5:59:16 PM PST by Cboldt
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To: Billthedrill
"One of the passengers who failed to turn up was a trained pilot from the Middle East who has since disappeared and cannot be traced..."

What does the airline do no background checks on these pilots? Don't they have security badges, and pictures?

53 posted on 01/03/2004 6:00:13 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: saquin
thanks for your post

SCREW YOU, AL QUEADA!

54 posted on 01/03/2004 6:02:56 PM PST by Jodi (I (heart) FreeRepublic!)
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To: DannyTN
"One of the PASSENGERS who failed to turn up happend to be a trained pilot.
55 posted on 01/03/2004 6:04:43 PM PST by Cboldt
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To: randog
On another note, I guess we'll start hearing the leftists praising Bush. After all, he knowingly let 9/11 happen, but stopped this catastrophe in its tracks.

New York Post headline? BUSH KNEW, AND HE STOPPED IT!

I wonder,will the **nt from Chappaqua hold that headline up in the floor of the Senate?

56 posted on 01/03/2004 6:08:48 PM PST by Jodi (I (heart) FreeRepublic!)
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To: Cboldt
"One of the PASSENGERS who failed to turn up happend to be a trained pilot"

Ohhhhh Ok that makes more sense. Still how did they know he was a trained pilot from the middle east? But now they can't trace him? It sounds like they know who he is.

57 posted on 01/03/2004 6:10:28 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: americanbychoice
For me, BARE HANDS AND TEETH.

SM
58 posted on 01/03/2004 6:11:05 PM PST by Senormechanico
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To: mr extremist
I want to see the nuclear programs and governments of Iran, Syria and North Korea dismantled via military action by next January.]

Never read Sun Tsu, eh Mon General Extremist?

59 posted on 01/03/2004 6:11:16 PM PST by Mad_Tom_Rackham ("...the right of THE PEOPLE to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.")
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To: randog
He He, unfortunately, praising GWB in such a case would require a logic the looney left just doesn't have.
60 posted on 01/03/2004 6:12:49 PM PST by Donna Lee Nardo
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