US tells foreign airlines to carry armed sky marshals

WASHINGTON - One week after raising its terror alert level, the United States Government yesterday ordered foreign airlines to place armed marshals on selected flights to and from the US to thwart attacks.

The Department of Homeland Security, which on December 21 raised its terror alert to the second highest level, said it remained concerned about al Qaeda's desire to conduct attacks against commercial airlines within the US.

The department issued the aviation emergency orders to further boost security on aircraft flying to, from and over the US.

When intelligence information shows signs of a potential threat on a flight the department will require foreign carriers to place armed Government law enforcement officers on particular passenger and cargo flights.

"These directives ... are part of our ongoing effort to make air travel safe for Americans and visitors alike," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said.

The new measures go into effect immediately.

Last week, six Air France flights between Paris and Los Angeles were cancelled over security concerns expressed by US intelligence. French authorities detained 13 people who had been booked on the flights but released them after finding no links to radical groups.

Some countries already place armed law enforcement officers on airplanes. The new measures give Homeland Security the authority to require armed security officers on international aircraft travelling in US airspace.

Armed air marshals disguised as passengers are already deployed on thousands of US airline flights each week in an effort to prevent another day like September 11, 2001, when hijackers took control of four US passenger planes and flew them into the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.

The new order drew a mixed reaction from international carriers and airline bodies.

Britain appeared to anticipate the ruling, saying on Monday that armed sky marshals would be placed on some British passenger planes. But one international airline body, which argues security measures should be carried out on the ground before takeoff, was opposed to the decision, as were British airline pilots.

Ridge acknowledged that all Governments did not have programmes to deploy marshals on aircraft, and said the US would help with training.

He said the new regulations served to warn Governments they might be asked to provide marshals if necessary.

"It's pretty clear that it is understood by our international aviation partners that the threat to passenger aircraft is an international challenge," Ridge said.

"And all of us must work as closely together as possible to share information and act upon it to ensure the safety of our citizens, wherever that flight might originate or whatever its ultimate destination is."

The US would also continue to conduct checks on passengers and crew of flights entering and leaving US airspace, Homeland Security said.

British Airways, Europe's largest airline, which in the past has said it had concerns about the presence of firearms on planes, was distinctly lukewarm about the idea. "This is a matter for the Department for Transport," said a spokeswoman for the carrier.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said the decision to use marshals would boost public confidence in travelling.

Other international carriers appeared more amenable to the idea.

"We are open to having sky marshals in our planes," said Frank Houben, a spokesman for Dutch airline KLM .

Germany has had sky marshals since shortly after the September 11 attacks. Berlin said air marshals would fly on all transatlantic flights and other unspecified routes out of the country, but declined to give more details.

Pilots for Germany's Lufthansa said at the time they were open to having security guards on planes but did not want guns in the cockpit.

French national police said France did not have any armed sky marshals on its flights and never has had. Flag carrier Air France said it would not comment on security matters.

In Italy, flag carrier Alitalia said it was up to the Government to decide about putting armed sky marshals on its flights.

Israel's El Al, renowned as the world's most security-conscious airline with a battery of measures imposed after hijackings in the 1970s, has employed armed marshals for years.

The Australian Government announced last week that armed guards would be used on many flights between Australia and Singapore.

- REUTERS