Actionable intelligence. Travelers may have the impression that it was a false alarm that led to the cancellation and delay of specific flights between Paris and Los Angeles, London and Washington, and Mexico City and Los Angeles over the Christmas and New Year's holidays. Earlier reports suggested that one passenger scheduled to fly on December 24 on an Air France flight from Paris to Los Angeles had the same name -- but a different identity -- as someone on a US terror watch list. In other words, that the flights were cancelled based on a mistake -- a false positive. But in fact, wonder if such measures prevented - or postponed - an attempted attack?

Now ABC News' Brian Ross is reporting that "France today confirmed...that it was hunting for a man...suspected of having links to al Qaeda and [who] may have access to a concealable bomb...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."

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

Fox News reports that the man French authorities are searching for is an Afghan carrying a French passport, who had a ticket but failed to show up to fly on the Dec. 24 Air France flight from Paris to Los Angeles, which was canceled. Meanwhile, another Murdoch outlet, the New York Post, is reporting that British and European authorities are searching for two Al Qaeda-terrorists carrying US passports, also intending to attack US-bound flights from France and the UK.

Posted by Laura at January 7, 2004 08:36 AM