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Attempted hijacking reported at Bush Intercontinental Airport
Associated Press

An American Airlines flight was escorted back to Bush Intercontinental Airport by F-16 fighters this afternoon after a disturbance that FBI officials think was an attempted hijacking.

"I understand that it is, it appears to be an attempted hijacking, but I do not have that confirmed," said FBI spokesman Bob Doguim. "Until personnel out at the airport has a chance to talk with the air marshals that were on board and also interview whoever it is they determined needed to be pulled off that flight, I won't be able to confirm much more than that."

Flight 1720, with 50 passengers, departed Houston for Dallas at 12:28 p.m. but returned to Bush Intercontinental at 1:08 p.m. after reports of a disturbance on board. The flight's ultimate destination was Nashville, Tenn.

"The captain returned to Houston due to a potential security incident," said American spokesman Todd Burke. "We did have two federal air marshals on board. Our reports indicate the passenger involved has been removed from the aircraft."

Neither Burke or Doguim had any more details about the disturbance on board or if any weapons were involved. No injuries were reported.

Doguim said he did not want to speculate on what exactly happened on the plane.

"We should find comfort in the fact that there were federal air marshals on that flight and the quick response from personnel assigned out at the airport," Doguim said. "There's no need to alarm anybody with misinformation. We have it under control."

Earlier today, another airliner was diverted to Fort Smith, Ark., because four passengers behaved strangely on the flight, including at least three who locked themselves in a restroom, possibly shaving their body hair.

No injuries were reported.

Federal officials, speaking on a condition of anonymity, said the incident was not believed to be related to terrorism.

However, KSTP-TV in Minneapolis, where Northwest Airlines is based, quoted an unidentified source as saying the men were "shaving themselves clean." A source speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that people aboard the airplane gave investigators similar accounts.

After last year's terror attacks, documents found in the luggage of attack leader Mohamed Atta gave what appeared to be instructions for the suicide hijackers: "The previous night, shave the extra hair from the body (and) pray."

The men appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent, said Jim Harris, a spokesman for Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Scott Brenner said some people were detained by the FBI at Fort Smith, but he didn't know how many. The FBI office at Little Rock said the men were taken off the plane but their whereabouts were unknown.

The Bush administration had raised the nation's terror alert warning to its second highest level Tuesday -- code orange -- signaling a "high risk" of attack on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The Airbus took off from Memphis at 8:47 a.m. Central time and was scheduled to arrive at Las Vegas at 10:19 a.m. Pacific time.

Earlier today, another airliner was diverted to Fort Smith, Ark., because four passengers behaved strangely on the flight, including at least three who locked themselves in a restroom, possibly shaving their body hair.

The three clinton's?

"The previous night, shave the extra hair from the body (and) pray."

What a great profiling opportunity. Bring on those "soft" x-ray machines.