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U.S. pressure behind Britain's move?

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON DEC. 30. The surprise decision of Britain to deploy armed guards on U.S.-bound flights was embroiled in a controversy today when the Government was accused of giving into American `pressure' and ignoring concerns of domestic airlines and pilots who are opposed to the idea of having men with guns on board.

The U.S. homeland security, Tom Ridge, confirmed in Washington that his department was asking all international airlines, flying to and from America, to have air marshals on board. He suggested that those who failed to comply could be denied access to American airspace saying: "Ultimately, the denial of access is the leverage that we have." Mr. Ridge said the move was part of the "ongoing efforts to make air travel safe for Americans and visitors alike."

He indicated that the issue had already been privately discussed with several Governments. "What we are saying here is we expect this level of cooperation from all nations."

While the British Government denied that it had acted under pressure and insisted that it was an `appropriate' response to the heightened fears of an airborne terrorist attack, Mr. Ridge's remarks were seized by critics wanting to know why an old plan which had been shelved last year had been revived.

The British Airways, which has consistently opposed the idea, made clear its unhappiness again saying it would prefer not to fly at all if it was not safe to do so. "We feel it is best to have strong security on the ground and that is where the focus of attention should be. We have always been of the opinion that if it is not safe to fly, then we will not fly," a spokesperson said.

A statement from the airlines said: "If a request was received for the deployment of a covert police capability on a flight, only if British Airways was satisfied that safety was thereby enhanced to an acceptable level would the flight take place." The move is also opposed by Virgin, the other major British airline to be affected by it.

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