Why was flight BA 175 disrupted by a "false positive" name match ?
Why have the US authorities still not sorted out their inept "name matching against alleged lists of terrorists" procedures before transatlantic flights take off from Europe ?
Three hours after take-off on Wednesday the Boeing 747, with 239 passengers, turned around after a US request that the man should not be allowed to land.
They said his name matched one on a terrorism watch list. He was met by British police on landing and was questioned, but later released.
BA said there was "no threat to the safety of the aircraft".
BA flight 175 landed back at Heathrow at 1730 GMT - more than six hours after take-off."
"A spokeswoman from the US Transportation Security Administration said: "There was a person travelling on a French passport who was a positive match with an anti-terrorism watch list.
"Homeland security made the match by checking data transmitted after the flight departed from London."
Even if the person was correctly identified as a terrorist suspect, why not just arrest him either at London or at New York ?
What evidence was there of wepons or explosives on board ? Apparently none.
Was there any intelligence of an active hijack or suicide hijack operation involving thios allegedly named person ? Apparently not.
Who exactly "cried wolf" and caused this false alarm ? Which of the 22 diffewrent inaccurate "watch lists" was it this time ? Why were these checks not completed before the plane took off ?
Are all the other 238 passengers now flagged as "were involved with a security incident" which will now add points to their electronic blacklist profile ?
This stupid "security theatre" has been going on for over a year now, remember the cancellations of BA flight 223 last January ?
Why hasn't the UK Department for Transport and the Home Office Ministers still not sorted out these basic security checking procedures with the US authorities in the year that has elapsed since then ?
Comments
Yet another example of the crass stupidity, paranoia and total over-reaction displayed by those idiot, freedom-hating morons on the other side of the Atlantic. The passengers on that plane have been put to massive inconvenience for nothing. I hope the American tourist industry goes down the pan, and their businesses are advesely affected, as people consider it just too much trouble to visit the place.
Posted by: A Tench | January 13, 2005 5:45 PM