Mon, Jun 02, 2003
US Confirms Grounded Plane Missing
Senior officials in Washington now confirm
what ANN reported last week (ANN: Friday, May 30, 2003 -
"Say, Isn't This Where I Left My Boeing?") - an
Angolan airliner is missing from Luanda Airport. The Airangol 727
had been grounded at Luanda more than a year ago because of safety
concerns. On Thursday, however, Angolan officials told the South
Africa Daily News a white man boarded the aircraft, started the
engines and took off - all without authorization from air traffic
control.
American officials don't mention the part about the aircraft
being stolen from Luanda. Instead, they indicate the 727 was on a
flight from Luanda to Burkino Faso, in northwestern Africa. Stolen
or not, the aircraft never arrived at its destination.
An unnamed US official told CNN, there's "no evidence or
information to suggest this is terrorist-related," and suggested
"it is most likely criminal." According to this official, the plane
was leased, and the people involved were behind in their
payments.
American law enforcement
agencies and the intelligence community are working with the
Angolan government to help figure out why the plane was stolen and
where it ended up.
Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security issued
an warning to the US aviation industry, citing "recent reliable
reports" that indicated al Qaeda was in the final stages of
planning an aerial suicide attack against the American Consulate in
Karachi, Pakistan. According to a source who read the notice, it
noted "al Qaeda's continuing fixation with using explosive-laden
small aircraft."
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