[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

[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.

[blam]

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

Stupid SOBing French.

[arasina]

I wonder if they think he got away to London and would've been on one of the British Airways flights to Dulles. Flight 223 detained at Dulles on New Year's Eve. From the thread entitled British Airways Flight Detained at Dulles Airport, Passengers Being Quizzed by Security:

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WJLA reporting, they were looking for 7-8 suspects. They're interviewing two passengers now, they were told there would be a delay, waited 1 1/2 hours for checks to start, then another 1 1/2 hours before these 2 (husband and wife) were cleared. Questioned middle easterner woman, FBI questioned her, where's your husband? No one knows why flight detained. One BA source said they were looking for 7-8 suspects. That's all.
298 posted on 12/31/2003 11:25:18 PM EST by angkor

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WTOP Live Report at 12:05 am EST
Did not question US Passport holders, just kept them on the plane. Questioned foreign passport holders.
Looking for 7-8 people
Still calling it a "routine rescreen of passengers"
Four agents stopped one particular woman - asked why her husband was not on board that flight
493 posted on 01/01/2004 12:08:19 AM EST by bcoffey