6 FLIGHTS CANCELLED DUE TO SECURITY RISKS- UPDATED 3 MORE WERE ADDED

Three Paris-Los Angeles Flights Canceled
3 minutes ago


PARIS - Three Paris-Los Angeles commercial flights were canceled due to security concerns, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.

The U.S. Embassy in Paris asked the government to cancel the Air France flights 'for security reasons,' a ministry spokesman said. Two of the flights were scheduled to leave Paris on Wednesday and one was scheduled to depart Thursday evening.

Air France said it was working to arrange accommodations for stranded passengers.

'These flights have been canceled for security reasons. It comes out of a disposition given by American authorities in France,' said Anna Laban, deputy press attache at the French consulate in Los Angeles.

The cancellations came almost exactly two years after the arrest of so-called 'shoe bomber' Richard Reid.

Reid, a British convert to Islam, was arrested on Dec. 22, 2001, when he tried but failed to detonate explosives in his shoes on American Airlines flight No. 63 from Paris to Miami. He was sentenced to life in prison.

OMG

I read yesterday that US intelligence knows that there are fully trained commercial pilots working for foreign airlines that are involved in an al-Qaida plot....scary!!! I'll try to find the article!

This really makes me want to walk through Penn Station later I HATE feeling like this

I found this article you may find interesting

12 New Explosives Detection Canine Teams Join Homeland Security To Prevent And Detect Terrorist Activities

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Transportation Security Administration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 24, 2003

Michael D. Robinson, assistant administrator for Aviation Operations at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), today paid tribute to 12 new members of the TSA National Explosives Detection Canine Team. Following recent graduation exercises at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, the new teams report for duty at eight airports just before the holiday.

'We are proud of these 12 officers and their canine partners,' said Robinson. 'These teams will soon join the ranks of the federal law enforcement community's largest explosives detection canine program, which has helped keep our nation's airports and aviation system free of explosives for more than 30 years.'

During training, officers were provided instruction on handler skills, explosives safety, and safe handling and accountability of explosives canine training aids. They also spent much of their time searching for explosives in a specialized outdoor training area that includes six different types of airplanes or 'classrooms' where teams check cockpits, cabins, and overhead storage bins for hidden explosives. The teams also practice searching luggage and a parking lot filled with cars, trucks, vans and buses.

'We have a high level of confidence in the teams as a result of the training they receive,' said Rear Adm. David M. Stone, Acting TSA Administrator. 'The TSA-certified canine teams reflect the core values of the Department of Homeland Security - providing first responders with the right tools, technical assistance and funding to protect our nation's interests.'

'As a Federal Security Director in the field I witnessed first hand the capabilities of these teams and realized their great importance as a tool in our ability to protect our transportation systems,' he added.

Once the teams return to their airports, they will undergo several hours of proficiency training each week in their operational environment that includes all the odors and distractions associated with a busy airport. To ensure these teams stay sharp, they are certified annually - a stringent, three-to-four day process designed to demonstrate their maintenance of TSA-certification standards.

TSA-certified explosives detection canine teams are stationed at each of the nation's largest airports. The TSA teams are acclimated to the unique characteristics of the airport and are the most reliable tool to search an aircraft for an explosive device. Because canine teams combine excellent mobility with reliable detection rates, their use today has evolved to include searching areas in response to bomb threats associated with airport terminals and aircraft, luggage, cargo, vehicles, as well as serving as a proven deterrent to would-be terrorists or criminals.

The TSA Explosives Detection Canine Team Program is a cooperative partnership with participating airports. TSA pays to train the canine, provide in-depth training for the handler, and partially reimburses the participating agency for costs associated with the teams, such as salaries, overtime, canine food and veterinary care.

Since the events of September 11, 2001, the number of teams available for airport duty has doubled to 300 working regularly at 64 of the nation's busiest airports. Plans call for expanding the program to 354 teams at 82 airports in 2004.

The canine teams are being assigned to airports in Atlanta; Boise, Idaho; Boston; Chicago; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Sacramento, California; and San Francisco.