Did the French Government drop the ball on Christmas Eve?

[The Mad Monk]

Whereabouts Unknown
Terror Suspect Failed to Show for Christmas Eve Flight

By Brian Ross



Jan. 6— Authorities across Europe are searching for a passenger suspected of having links to al Qaeda who failed to show up for an Air France flight on Christmas Eve, ABCNEWS has learned.



U.S. law enforcement officials believe the male passenger underwent terrorist training in Afghanistan. The ongoing search for the man — who was traveling with a French passport — is one of the factors contributing to the continuing security jitters about trans-Atlantic flights, officials said.

French officials told ABCNEWS the man is feared to have a small bomb whose components might get past airport security.

The man had a ticket for Air France's Flight 68 from Paris to Los Angeles on Dec. 24, but the flight was canceled and the passenger never showed up at the airport, U.S. and French officials told ABCNEWS.

The man is being sought across Europe. Former French defense official Alexis Debat says the French fear they canceled the flight too soon, tipping him off.

"Nobody knows where he is and that is a big concern throughout Europe," said Debat, an ABCNEWS consultant. "The French are concerned that they may have dropped the ball."

The man's identity and description have been passed on to security officials in London, adding to other potential threats being dealt with there.

"This person will also have several other pieces or documents, aliases, several passports," Debat said.

As part of the search for the one suspect, French officials today carried out two raids today near the city of Lyon and in a small town north of Paris, based in part on U.S. intelligence information.

"You have to hit at the head, which is the logistical network that enables the person to travel back and forth," said Debat.

As well as the Air France flights, several other U.S.-bound flights were canceled or delayed over the holidays, including British Airways flights from London to Washington.

ABCNEWS.com's Pierre Thomas and Len Tepper contributed to this report.

I just heard a report that ticket agents were calling the passengers on the cancalled flights, telling them not to come to the airport because they were cancelled on security gounds...

[Nubclear]

Evil evil French They obviously support the terrorists.

[The Mad Monk]

Not evil, just incompetant.

Is it so hard to wait until the suspect actually gets there to cancel the flight and nail him?

[Timexwatch]

If they need to cancel the flights, then security has obviously failed already. There should be no way that terrorists can sneak explosives on if the proper equipement is present. Everytime I've flown, I've had my luggage and baggage swabbed for explosives. How hard would it be to carefully swab each bag?

I don't see why they just don't fly these flights with air marshalls and catch them in the act instead of hoping that a terrorist might try to board the plane. If there's three or four marshalls on an important transatlantic flight, that should be good enough to stop any potential plot.

[Spiffor]

The article mentions a small bomb that could get past airport security. I don't think Airport security in Paris is any more obsolete than anywhere else in the world, but we may be seeing a new kind of bomb-technology, that will require new security equipment.

If this small bomb is of the same kind as the bomb placed in a passenger's shoes once, it is hard to detect indeed (especially by swabbing a bag )

And Al-Qaeda is known for using suicide bombers. If the guy wants to explode his bomb during the flight, I fail to see how the Marshalls can help it.

[The Mad Monk]

Right, by all means cancel the flight, but wait until the passengers get there (so they can be thoroughly searched), and whatever you do, don't tip them off.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
Right, by all means cancel the flight, but wait until the passengers get there (so they can be thoroughly searched), and whatever you do, don't tip them off.

That's right. I was answering to TimexWatch. You're right in saying the French authorities have blundered bigtime in tipping the passengers off

[TheStinger]

They keep cancelling one of the heathrow washington flights, why they don't arrest the bloke they ssupect I don't know

[Tripledoc]

American intelligence had learned that perhaps there was a problem with French airport security methodology. Therefore they give a false tip to the French, who consequently cancels the flight 'too soon'. Now the US corporate news can accuse the French of incompetence in this continuing saga of French bashing. Clever, very clever indeed.

[Spiffor]

I think the American intelligence is not stupid enough to play French-bashing. The French and the Americans share a common interest and a tight cooperation in matters of anti-terrorist policies, and I certainly don't think the services want to toaste this good relationship with pranks.

[Ted Striker]

yeah that's it Tripledoc

[Tripledoc]

I just note that ABC gets all their information regarding the case from a FORMER french defense official.

And when American media went into French bashing mode that was not planted by CIA. Oh sure.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Tripledoc
And when American media went into French bashing mode that was not planted by CIA. Oh sure.

I'm sure the enormous audience for French-bashing shows was much more of an incentive for the media than the CIA. The CIA might have initiated it, but the Americans are stupid enough to exert a demand for French-bashing by themselves.

[Timexwatch]

Originally posted by Spiffor

That's right. I was answering to TimexWatch. You're right in saying the French authorities have blundered bigtime in tipping the passengers off

You do know that airport security often examines and sometimes swabs shoes, especially ones that have heels large enough to conceal explosives, right? I've even had my sneakers examined by security.

The shoebomber didn't go unnoticed

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Timexwatch
The shoebomber didn't go unnoticed

Indeed, he was attacked in the plane as he was setting up the explosives.
We don't know where the guy intends to hide his small bomb. Within a fake walkman, a fake laptop, within his anus, what do we know. The only thing that is suspected is that he has a virtually undetectable bomb. I don't think it is stupid to cancel flights in this regard. I don't know for you, but I prefer to avoid another plane crash.