BRITAIN: British civil aviation was raised to its highest level, "imminent", following warnings that one of the most wanted al-Qaeda suspects was believed to be planning another attack in east Africa.
The highest warning since September 11th was issued after Kenyan security services said that Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, the man believed to be behind the 1998 US embassy bombings and last year's failed attempt to shoot down a plane carrying Israeli tourists from a holiday resort near Mombasa, had been sighted in the Somali capital of Mogadishu and was now thought to be operating in Kenya.
"We believe he's in Mombasa now. He came back from Somalia," said Mr Matthew Kabetu, head of Kenya's anti-terrorism unit. "I cannot give specifics, but we are told he's around. . . we are very concerned."
But the Kenyan security minister, Mr Chris Murungaru, said the ban played into the hands of any would-be attackers.
"The action taken by the British government was extreme. Actions like this may make it appear like terrorists are making a moral score, a moral victory."
Kenya was taking all necessary security precautions against terrorism, he said, adding that Nairobi would not introduce any similar restrictions on Kenyan airlines.
Intelligence sources in London said they had information that the al-Qaeda cell which fired two surface-to-air missiles at the Israeli airliner as it left the city last November were planning "something similar". The decision to suspend flights followed "very reliable information about an imminent attack on a western target," in Kenya. The UK department for transport told airlines that "the threat level to UK civil aviation interests in Kenya has increased to imminent."
British Airways said it was making arrangements to transfer hundreds of passengers into Tanzania to fly them back to Britain.
Mr Mohammed, a native of the Indian Ocean Comoros islands who carries a Kenyan passport, is accused of masterminding the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and November's suicide bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel in the Kenyan port of Mombasa. In the former attacks 224 people died, and in the latter 16, almost all were Kenyan.
Last night, the British foreign office warned against non-essential trips to Kenya, including holidays. All British nationals were advised to keep a low profile.- (Guardian Service)