UK and US say ISIS Bomb May Have Downed Russian Metrojet Over Egypt

http://www.newsbharati.com/ UK and US say ISIS Bomb May Have Downed Russian Metrojet Over Egypt.

UK and US say bomb may have downed Russian jet over Egypt

Jim Pickard, Tanya Powley and Sam Jones in London and Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington



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Downing Street has pre-empted the findings of an investigation into the Russian plane crash in Egypt at the weekend by suggesting it might have been caused by a bomb.

The government said it was suspending all flights between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh for the foreseeable future, after holding an emergency meeting of Cobra, the government’s security committee. It also changed its travel advice and warned British citizens against travelling to the area.

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Three flights set to depart the Red Sea tourist resort for the UK were grounded on Wednesday evening while a team of British aviation experts carried out a security assessment of the airport, Number 10 said.

Ireland followed the announcement, saying it was also suspending flights to and from the tourist resort until further notice, according to a statement from the Irish Aviation Authority.

An Airbus A321 jet, operated by Russian airline Metrojet, crashed early on Saturday morning in a mountainous area 23 minutes after take-off from the Red Sea resort, one of the most popular destinations for Russian tourists. All 224 on board were killed, making it Russia’s deadliest air disaster.

The UK said all flights to and from the Red Sea destination would be cancelled for the rest of Wednesday. “While the investigation is still ongoing we cannot say categorically why the Russian jet crashed,” said a spokesperson.

“But as more information has come to light we have become concerned that the plane may well have been brought down by an explosive device.”

CNN on Wednesday quoted an anonymous US intelligence official who said that the crash was probably caused by a bomb. “There is a definite feeling it was an explosive device,” the official told the news network.

Earlier on Wednesday, the White House declined to comment Josh Earnest, White House press secretary, said he did not want to “say anything that would interfere with or prejudice” the investigation. The CIA and White House declined to comment on the CNN report.

The intervention by the UK is without precedent while an air crash investigation is continuing. Under a UN treaty the countries leading the investigation, in this case Russia and Egypt, would take the lead on announcing any likely cause of a crash.

Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry told the BBC the circumstances of the flight suspensions were “a premature and unwarranted statement” which risked devastating consequences for the country’s vital tourism industry.

Chris Yates, an aviation safety expert, said: “I haven’t seen anything like this before. It is a big move but . . .  they’ve obviously got some sort of evidence to suggest it’s a bomb. I think they are making the right step by halting flights temporarily. It’s important to make sure passengers are safe.”



The government said that protecting British citizens would always be its priority. Senior officials said the intervention reflected the UK’s particular concern over the security implications of the crash, informed by intelligence assessments.

As yet, no perpetrator has been identified by UK agencies. A bomb attack on a plane bears the mark of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the most virulent offshoot of the global jihadi network, but the group has not claimed responsibility.

Fears over security measures at Sharm el-Sheikh reflect the possibility that the attack was not highly sophisticated but, rather, opportunistic. The UK experts dispatched to the airport are assessing whether the airport has serious security lapses.

The opportunistic scenario would put other terrorist groups in the frame, including Isis, which intelligence officials believe lacks the technical know-how to sneak bombs past most conventional airline security measures.

Andrew Parker, the head of the UK’s domestic security service, MI5, warned only last week that the latest intelligence assessments indicated a growing interest by terrorist groups such as Isis in mounting “mass casualty” “spectacular” attacks.

A Sinai-based affiliate of Isis, the jihadi militant group, repeated a claim on Wednesday that it was behind the downing of the airliner.

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Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee, which is leading the investigation, said on Sunday that the plane had broken up in mid-air and its wreckage was scattered over an area of about 20 square kilometres, prompting speculation of a terrorist attack.

Dmitri Peskov, spokesman for Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, said no possibility should be excluded. But Egyptian officials have, on a number of occasions, ruled out terrorism as the cause.

David Cameron, the British prime minister, spoke to President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt on Tuesday evening, before bilateral talks in London on Thursday, to discuss security measures at Sharm el-Sheikh. An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 British tourists are in Egypt.

The UK spokesperson said the action was a “precautionary step” and the government would work closely with airlines. “We recognise that this information may cause concern for those in Sharm and indeed for those planning to travel to Sharm in the coming days,” he said.

15,000

Upper range of British tourists estimated to be in Egypt

“We have deployed extra consular staff to Sharm who will be on hand at the airport, working with the airlines, to assist British holidaymakers there. For others, either in resorts at Sharm or planning a holiday to Sharm in the coming days, our advice is to contact your airline or tour operator.”

The three flights due to leave Sharm el-Sheikh airport on Wednesday evening to return to the UK were operated by easyJet and Thomson.

The decision will mean thousands of British holidaymakers will see their flights to the tourist destination cancelled. easyJet, British Airways, Thomson and Monarch all fly to Sharm el-Sheikh airport, with both easyJet and Thomson already postponing their flights on Wednesday evening.

Responding to the government’s updated guidance, easyJet said its six scheduled flights for Thursday had been cancelled. “We are doing all possible to keep passengers informed,” it said.

Thomson confirmed it had temporarily suspended flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh.

British Airways has a service due to fly out on Thursday morning.