The Associated Press
PARIS (AP)--French authorities are searching for a passenger who didn’t turn up for a scheduled Air France flight on Christmas Eve, France’s justice minister confirmed Wednesday.
The comments were in response to a report by ABC television network saying that European authorities were searching for a man with alleged al-Qaida links who failed to board an Air France flight on Christmas Eve.
``I confirm that we are looking for someone, but I can’t say more,’' Justice Minister Dominique Perben told RMC radio. ``What’s important when someone who doesn’t take a plane is to know why he didn’t take it.’'
The ABC report cited unidentified American officials as saying the passenger had a French passport and was believed to have undergone training in Afghanistan.
The report also quoted French officials as saying that the man was feared to have a small bomb whose components might get past airport security. The report said he was ticketed for Air France flight 68 from Paris to Los Angeles on Dec. 24.
The flight was one of six between Paris and Los Angeles on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that was canceled following security talks between U.S. and French officials.
Perben declined to respond to questions about whether the suspect was a French national, had a criminal record or was on a watch list of the French counterterrorism agency, DST.