‘US checking airports for missile threat’

WASHINGTON: The United States has sent aviation safety teams to Iraq and cities in Europe and Asia, to check if commercial airports can be kept safe from terrorists who could use shoulder-fired missiles to down passenger jets, The New York Times (NYT) reported.

Quoting senior US officials, the newspaper said “the inspections at airports in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Basra as well as in Athens, Istanbul, Manila and several other foreign capitals where American air carriers have regularly scheduled flights, are part of the administration’s response to recent intelligence reports suggesting that a terrorist attack using small heat-seeking missiles may be imminent, probably overseas.”

The inspections began several weeks ago, the report said, but the officials said they had not discussed them publicly. —AFP

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