U.S.: Threat of terror in air persists

Air France resumed flights between Paris and Los Angeles on Friday as U.S. counterterrorism officials maintained tight security measures here and elsewhere, warning that the threat remains of an attack by Al Qaeda involving aircraft in the United States.

As the FBI dispatched more agents to France to investigate a suspected terror plot that may have been aborted, authorities at Los Angeles International Airport maintained the tightest security since Sept. 11, 2001, scouring several flights from France and Mexico for possible passengers or cargo that might suggest terrorism.

Just after 6:15 p.m. local time Friday, federal agents and local authorities met Air France Flight 68 from Paris at a remote terminal at LAX. The flight, two hours late because of a security check at Charles de Gaulle Airport, was the first Air France jetliner from Paris in two days and the same flight that intelligence officials initially cited as a possible terrorist target.

It was the first of three flights Friday that authorities said would get additional screening.

On Christmas evening, dozens of FBI agents, Los Angeles police and other law-enforcement personnel also converged on Air Tahiti Nui Flight 21 from Paris, according to authorities. After a three-hour security delay at Charles de Gaulle Airport, officials said, the jetliner was held five more hours at the Los Angeles airport as a tactical weapons team and bomb technicians combed the aircraft and counterterrorism investigators interviewed the 200 passengers and crew in a remote terminal.

Hours later, the FBI, Los Angeles police and other law-enforcement officers also descended upon Aeromexico Flight 490, which arrived late Thursday from Mexico City. The aircraft and passengers on that flight, originating in the Yucatan capital of Merida, also were thoroughly examined.

Early in the week, counterterrorism officials told the Los Angeles Times that authorities were paying special attention to Los Angeles-bound flights by Air France, Aeromexico and Air Tahiti Nui for fear that they could be exploited by Al Qaeda. It was unclear how that information was developed, though officials said it was part of a recent intelligence analysis that concluded that Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Valdez, Alaska, and Rappahannock, Va., also could figure into terrorism plans.

Since the nation’s security alert was increased Sunday, U.S. officials have voiced concern that extremists might use aircraft to launch another attack.

On Christmas Eve, French officials halted six Air France flights scheduled to fly into LAX over two days after intelligence reports picked up “chatter” that several Air France flights may be targeted for hijacking.