Report: Saudi Police Foil Airliner Attack

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=6&u=/nm/20031227/ts_nm/security_saudi_airport_dc

LONDON (Reuters) - Saudi security forces have seized light planes packed with explosives near Riyadh's King Khalid airport, foiling a plot by suicide pilots to blow up a Western airliner on the runway, a British newspaper said on Sunday.

Two pilots apparently intended to crash their light planes into a Western jet as it taxied slowly on the tarmac, the Mail on Sunday quoted Patrick Mercer, homeland security policy chief for Britain's opposition Conservative Party as saying.

"My understanding is that (the light planes) were found on the flight line and that the plan was to fly them into a passenger jet either about to land or take off," Mercer told the paper.

The two pilots were among several people arrested after the planes were discovered some time in the past few weeks, the paper said.

... of false and/or exaggerated stories. A weekly occurrence nowadays, it would seem.

It will be interesting to see what the real tiny nugget of actual fact is that drove this story.

It isn't Paris...it is Riyadh. It isn't airliners...it's small planes!

Tom Ridge: "Keep the look out for all general aviation!"

:eyes:

I don't know if this story is true or not. I wasn't there. I'm not claiming to have been there.

But the Saudi police are not high on my list of deeply trusted institutions.

Daddy Bush and W et al have been too cozy with the Saudis for too long for me to accept this story without a little suspicion.

airplanes? How many pilots? What was the nationality of the pilots? Who do they work for? There sure are a lot of story with no facts since Bush stole the election.

FloridaPat, I think you nailed it. Bingo. And thanks.

At least the media does. I bet this story will be in The Telegraph, Conrad Black's (and Richard Perle) plaything. The story will be nothing but unnamed sources and confidential spokesmen.

Something like this happening in Saudi Arabia, our wonderful ally in the Middle East? No way! You could knock me over with a feather. Are you absolutely sure it wasn't some of those damn Iraqi terra-ists at work instead?

not connected with BushCo.

The Saudi police could not find their own ass with both hands.

The Italian threat was destroyed by Berlusconni... Bremmer suddently told the truth about the NON existent WMDs in Iraq... so now we have a plot against a Britsh Plane in Saudi Arabia?

Oh I am very cynical now... OH REALLY? I am shocked, the horror, A BRITISH PLANE, as if British Airways will speak openly and in Sauidi Arabia where NOBODY WILL SAY A BLEEPING THING?

Ok how many favors will Junior have to pay to the Al Saud Family?

Now what raelly enquiring minds want to know is when Tiom Ridge take credit for THIS ONE? SEE we were doing OUR JOB!

A story is then planted in the UK papers, then through the tabloid route make their way into American papers as gospel. More of the doggy dossier routine. Bolster one domestic lie with a foreign ally lie = truth unquestioned by Americans.

http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Dec/12282003/nation_w/123870.asp

This is nothing new to DUers, but still, gives one pause in light of the story being discussed in this thread.
<snip>
Baker is a volunteer envoy for the president. He also is a partner in his family's law firm, Baker Botts, and a senior counselor with the Carlyle Group, a Washington-based merchant bank.
...
Baker Botts has an extensive presence in the Middle East, with an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and a business alliance with a firm in the United Arab Emirates. On its Web site, the firm touts the "perspective and experience of James A. Baker III, 61st U.S. secretary of state" as someone "who offers the firm's clients an additional resource on which to rely regarding their activities in the region."

</snip>

I have a very bad feeling about this.

s_m

.
.
. . From the Article:

"A BA spokesman said the airline had no knowledge of the incident described in the paper.

"We are in regular contact with the Saudi authorities and the British government and we wouldn't fly unless it was completely safe to do so," a spokesman said. "We haven't changed our flights to or from Saudi Arabia."

BA suspended flights to the oil-rich Gulf kingdom in August citing a security threat, but the airline resumed flying the following month after a review.

Mercer was not available to elaborate on his remarks and the British Foreign Office said it was not aware of the incident."

/snip/

I can't see if there was one smidgen of truth to this story why the airlines would deny it ?

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=429597§ion=news

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has denied a Mail on Sunday report that security forces had seized light planes packed with explosives near Riyadh's King Khalid airport, foiling a suicide plot to blow up a Western airliner.

"A Saudi security official confirmed that the story...was not true," the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

"The official said neither the British Foreign Office nor British Airways are able to confirm such information," SPA said.

snip>