Sir, On Christmas Eve the French Government ordered six Air France services to and from Los Angeles to be cancelled after receipt of “intelligence” from the US authorities (report, December 26). Doubtless the US Secretary for Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, had a hand in this. If the information his agents were alleged to have uncovered was valid, it could and should have been handled out of the glare of media exposure . Simon Jenkins (Comment, December 24) rightly asks if the intent was to scare.

Policy developed within the air transport industry more than a decade ago called for no publicity to be given to terrorist threats. To do so, the airlines argued, allows the terrorists to shut down a carrier’s operation merely by making a telephone call. Western governments know and understand the reasons behind the airlines’ position, so why was the threat against Air France made public? There was no need.

Simon Jenkins quotes Professor John Steinbruner of Maryland University: “Simply spreading fear under cover of vigilance plays the enemy’s game.” In America Mr Ridge is in danger of doing just this, an action being repeated all too frequently here in the UK. The news that armed sky marshals are to travel on certain British aircraft (reports, December 29 and 30) raises the fear level another notch and the move is rightly condemned by the British Air Line Pilots’ Association. There is no such thing as a safe gun on board an aircraft.

Good aviation security certainly does not begin in Washington.

Yours faithfully,
RODNEY WALLIS,
(Director of Security, International Air Transport Association, 1980-91; author, How Safe Are Our Skies?, Praeger, 2003),
15 Cliveden Close,
Ferndown, Dorset BH22 9UL.
December 30.

Explore Letters

• Feedback