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WORLD NEWSFriday 6 November 2015
Russia, Egypt dismiss suggestions a bomb caused crash
GREGORY KATZ Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron greets Egyptian president Abdel Fatah el-Sisi at 10 Down- U.S. and British leaders
Associated Press ing Street in London ahead of their meeting Thursday Nov. 5, 2015. British Prime Minister David have stopped short of a
LONDON (AP) — Five days Cameron declared Thursday it was “more likely than not” that a bomb brought down a Metrojet categorical assignment
after a Russian jetliner flight packed with Russian vacationers — a scenario that officials from Russia and Egypt tried to of blame in the crash, but
broke apart high above dismiss as premature speculation. Cameron said he had grounded all flights to and from Egypt’s Cameron said it is “more
the Sinai, Russia and Egypt Sinai Peninsula, stranding thousands of British tourists at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, be- likely than not” that the
on Thursday dismissed cause of “intelligence and information” indicating that a bomb was the likely culprit in the crash cause was a bomb.
Western suggestions that Saturday that killed 224 people. President Barack Obama
a terrorist bomb may have said the U.S. was taking
caused the crash that (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP) “very seriously” the possi-
killed 224 people, saying bility that a bomb brought
the speculation was a rush that it was a terrorist bomb beside him at a news con- mir Putin to explain that down the plane. His com-
to judgment. ... (but it’s a) strong possibil- ference following an awk- concern for the safety of ments, in an interview with
British Prime Minister Da- ity,” Cameron said. ward meeting. Cameron British citizens had led the a Seattle radio station, fol-
vid Cameron, who spoke Egyptian President Abdel- also spoke by phone with government to go public lowed an earlier statement
to the presidents of both Fattah el-Sissi later stood Russian President Vladi- with its suspicions about a by White House spokesman
countries in the very pub- bomb. Josh Earnest, who said the
lic dispute, said he had Russia and Egypt insist the U.S. can’t rule out the pos-
grounded all British flights investigation into the crash sibility of terrorism.
to and from the Sinai Pen- must run its course before The Islamic State group,
insula because of “intel- any conclusion is reached. which has not generally
ligence and information” The Metrojet plane crashed pursued “spectacular” at-
indicating a bomb was the 23 minutes after taking off tacks outside its base in
probable reason a Metro- from the Red Sea resort of Syria, has claimed respon-
jet Airbus A321-200 plane Sharm el-Sheikh for St. Pe- sibility for bringing down
had crashed Saturday in tersburg with mostly Rus- the plane, but Russian and
the desert. sians aboard. Egyptian officials say the
British and U.S. officials, The dispute arose after the claim was not credible.
guided primarily by intelli- U.S. and British intelligence Egypt stands to lose millions
gence intercepts and sat- was disclosed Wednesday, of dollars from its vital tour-
ellite imagery, have sug- just as el-Sissi was heading ism industry. Its tourism min-
gested gingerly it might to London on a previously ister, Hisham Zaazou, met
have been the work of planned visit — his first as with British officials in Lon-
the extremist Islamic State president. don to persuade them to
group and its affiliates in Russia complained that reconsider the decision to
the Sinai. intelligence gathered by suspend flights to Sharm el-
“We don’t know for certain London and Washington Sheikh, the Egyptian state-
about its jetliner has not run news agency MENA
been made available. reported.
If Britain had information Caught in the middle are
about a bomb on the thousands of tourists strand-
plane, it’s “really shocking” ed in Sharm el-Sheikh, un-
that hasn’t been shared able to return home be-
with Russia, said Foreign cause flights have been
Ministry spokeswoman Ma- suspended due to security
ria Zakharova, speaking in concerns.
Moscow. Britain sent a security team
British officials declined to to the Sharm el-Sheikh air-
say what intelligence was port to determine what
shared with other coun- changes are needed to
tries. make travel there safe, but
Egyptian officials maintain
there is nothing wrong with
the facility, which each
year welcomes thousands
of tourists to the resort be-
side the crystal-clear Red
Sea.
British Transport Secretary
Patrick McLoughlin told
Parliament that Egypt must
put in tighter, long-term se-
curity measures before Brit-
ish flights will resume flying
there on a regular basis.
Short-term measures, in-
cluding different luggage-
handing arrangements,
would allow the estimated
20,000 British citizens in the
Sharm el-Sheikh area to fly
home, he said.q
