US sends flight back to Britain, suspect freed

LONDON - US authorities told a British Airways flight bound for New York to turn back on Wednesday because they said there was a suspected militant on board, although London police later released him without charge.

US officials said a name on the passenger list matched that of a suspected member of a Moroccan militant group.

British police met the man off BA Flight 175, carrying 239 passengers, at London's Heathrow Airport and questioned him there for two hours before releasing him.

"He was never under arrest and is free to go," a police spokesman said. "No further action will be taken."

British Airways said the Boeing 747 left Heathrow for New York's JFK airport just after 1100 GMT and received a call from US authorities to turn back at about 1400 GMT.

A BA spokeswoman said the man's luggage was removed from the flight when the plane landed back in London.

"The plane was diverted back to London following a request from the US authorities about a passenger they did not want to disembark," she said.

The US officials said the United States requested the flight be diverted to Bangor, Maine, but British Airways asked for permission to return to London.

A number of British Airways and Air France flights were cancelled about 12 months ago because US officials cited intelligence pointing to an al Qaeda plot to target planes.

At the times of the cancellations in January 2004 and December 2003, Washington said intelligence showed al Qaeda was still interested in using aircraft, particularly commercial airliners, to carry out an attack against the United States.

Al Qaeda is held responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States involving four hijacked commercial airplanes in 2001. About 3,000 people were killed.

- REUTERS