Air India warned Mounties about bomb plot: inquiry

Ottawa: The RCMP was warned by Air India on June 3, 1985, that Sikh extremists planned to target the airline with suitcase bombs or suicide squads.
The accurate prediction came three weeks before Air India Flight 182 was blown out of the sky off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 aboard.
"Assessment of threat received from intelligence agencies reveal the likelihood of sabotage attempts being undertaken by Sikh extremists by placing time delay devices in the aircraft or registered baggage," the Air India Telex says.
After getting the Telex, the RCMP asked the Canadian Security Intelligence Service for a new threat assessment on the airline, but neglected to hand over the critical information provided by Air India.
CSIS then issued an assessment claiming there was no specific threat against Air India.
Inquiry lawyer Anil Kapoor said the only explanation he has received about the lack of communication between agencies is "oversight."
But retired Justice John Major said it is hard to accept that something so critical would be overlooked.
The Air India Telex called for "meticulous implementation of counter sabotage measures for flights at all airports."
"Basic responsibility for counter sabotage measures is that of airlines."
Air India hired Burns Security at Toronto's Pearson Airport for greater vigilance in response to the warnings.
But the RCMP officer in charge of airport security said in a June 5 Telex to his bosses: "I do not feel there is a need for extra security by this force."
01/05/07 Kim Bolan, CanWest News Service/Victoria Times Colonist, Canada

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Categories: Air India May 2007, Foreign May 2007, Safety May 2007