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Friday, Jan. 2, 2004

Authorities concerned about terrorism canceled or delayed four flights in 24 hours between London and Washington Dulles International Airport, tightening the security net over U.S. airspace. And a British Airways flight from Heathrow to Washington was canceled Friday.

The flurry of activity over New Year's took place a week and a half after the Bush administration raised the national terrorism alert to orange. In the face of extreme security at the nation's airports, seaports and public gathering places, no terrorist incidents took place.

But the heightened security caused some inconvenience for passengers at Dulles, just outside the nation's capital.

Based on security advice from the British government, British Airways on Thursday canceled the same flight from London that U.S. authorities had boarded on New Year's Eve after it landed at Dulles. That same flight was canceled again Friday following security advice from the British government, a spokesman for the airline said.

On Thursday night, U.S. authorities delayed a London-bound British Airways flight that had been scheduled to leave at 6:35 p.m. EST, with passengers "re-screened because of security concerns," said a Dulles airport official who asked not to be identified by name. The plane left shortly after 10 p.m. EST. The airline confirmed the late departure.

On New Year's Eve, U.S. officials acted on intelligence information and not just suspicious passenger names when they boarded the British Airways jet at Dulles, a national security official said.

Investigators found no evidence of terrorism as 247 passengers from London waited more than 3{ hours before getting off the plane while some of them were questioned.

"We had concerns with individuals on the flight, but threat reporting information led us to make the decision to have the flight escorted," a national security official said, speaking only on condition of anonymity.

The officials said the concerns were "fact-related" and not just connected to the passenger list the United States now receives from airlines flying into this country.

Security personnel did weapons screening of passengers, and the plane was kept several hundred feet from the terminal during the questioning.

FBI agents questioned a woman who appeared to be from the Middle East, asking her repeatedly why she was not traveling with her husband, one passenger said.

In Alaska, meanwhile, oil tankers on Thursday resumed loading at the terminal at Valdez, Alaska, which officials had closed down Tuesday.

The ships load Prudhoe Bay oil destined for the Lower 48 states at Valdez, the end of the 800-mile pipeline, which carries 17 percent of the nation's domestic oil supply.

Law enforcement personnel strengthened security last week in the Prince William Sound community after U.S. officials said al-Qaida operatives could target remote sites such as oil facilities in Alaska. Officials also said then they could not corroborate a report about an al-Qaida threat against the Valdez oil terminal.

The U.S. government shared threat information with the Mexican government, which canceled a scheduled U.S.-bound flight from Mexico because of security concerns.

Agustin Gutierrez, Mexico's presidential spokesman, said Mexico did not receive convincing information for the cancellation.

"The question is what threat?" Gutierrez said. "This question must be answered by Homeland Security. If we are going to have a good climate of cooperation, the least that we can hope for are reasons."

Gutierrez also said the cancellation came after United States authorities said they would refuse to allow the plane to land, but Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse denied that.

© 2003 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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