Security Threat That Canceled Flights is Now Over, Official Says
Intelligence indicating that al Qaeda terrorists are seeking to release a chemical or biological agent aboard an airliner, or transport a radiological device in cargo, is one of the factors that prompted the cancellation of six international flights scheduled for Sunday and Monday, senior administration officials familiar with the reports said Monday.
The “specific and credible” terrorist threats that led to the cancellation of seven flights have passed and there are no plans to ground any more flights, a U.S. official said Monday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said current intelligence does not indicate any more threats against specific flights.
The intelligence on a weapon of mass destruction remains vague, and officials remain concerned about hijackings and other methods. The use of such weapons would be a new tactic.
A U.S. official said Washington had intelligence that Al Qaeda operatives may be targeting a number of regular U.S.-bound flights from Europe. “There are a handful of flights we are concerned about, and British Airways has canceled about half of them,” the official said.
According to a report in The Washington Post, officials feared terrorists were trying to contaminate a plane with chemical or biological agents, or trying to smuggle a radiological device into a cargo hold. Department of Homeland Security officials said there were no plans to raise the nation’s threat level despite the latest airline security concerns.
U.S. intelligence officials say they do not know for certain why al Qaeda may be particularly active at this time. One possible reason, some officials said, is that the five-day Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, called the hajj, climaxed Monday. The three-day Eid al-Adha celebration begins today.
The decision to cancel the flights was made jointly by the U.S., British and French governments, according to a senior law enforcement official.
“We continue to receive threat reporting that indicates al Qaeda’s desire to target international aviation,” said Brian Roehrkasse, a spokesman for the Homeland Security Department. “We have shared this information with our international partners, and will work with them to put in place the appropriate security measures,” he added.
Source: NY Post; Informed Source; Washington Post