"Report: FAA Warned of Violent Suspects Travel"

Saturday, October 6, 2001

Report: FAA Warned of Violent Suspects Travel


MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Two weeks before the Sept. 11 attacks on the United
States, the Federal Aviation Administration warned airlines and airports
that individuals with links to terror networks were planning to fly on U.S.
airlines, a Mexican magazine reported on Saturday.

Based on a confidential memo obtained by Cambio magazine, FAA security chief
Michael Canavan said the agency had received information about the travel
plans of individuals associated with violent activities.

The Aug. 28 memo listed the names of suspects -- including several
Pakistanis and two Bolivians -- and ordered airlines and airports to take
measures to prevent them from boarding passenger planes, the report said.

``The FAA has received information that a number of individuals associated
with terrorist activities are planning to travel by commercial aircraft
operators,'' the FAA memo said.

An FAA spokeswoman said she could not comment on security matters related to
the Sept. 11 attacks.

Cambio said the memo from Canavan did not detail the source of the
information on the list of suspects and none of the people on the FAA list
correspond with those identified by the FBI as responsible for hijacking the
four planes used in the attacks, Cambio said.

Three planes were rammed into the World Trade Center's twin towers in New
York and the Pentagon near Washington, while a fourth crashed in
Pennsylvania. About 5,600 were killed.

The memo was sent by fax to Mexico City's international airport, where
Cambio said it obtained a copy.

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