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American Morning

Missing Passenger

Aired January 07, 2004 - 09:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: There are security concerns today about a man who was booked on a flight from Paris to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve, but did not show up. Investigators in Europe have been searching for him ever since.
Sheila MacVicar is standing by for us in London as more is being learned about this story.

Sheila, good morning.

SHEIAL MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

Indeed, this man was booked on one of those six Air France flight 68s that was due to depart Paris for los Angeles Over the Christmas period. And you remember of course that Those flights were grounded because of security concerns. U.S. officials saying they had picked up undefined chatter. We now know a lot more about what officials were concerned about.

In a meeting that took place in Washington, French intelligence and their American counterparts got together and went through and reconciled the passenger list, people who were booked on the flight, people who didn't show up. They came up with between two and four names, French intelligence sources tell CNN, and now, they are left with one, and that is the man for whom they are searching and searching quite urgently throughout Europe.

O'BRIEN: Sheila, quick question for you. Obviously, knot much is known for not much is being released about this man, including his identitity at this point. But what is known? What do you know about this person that is the object of so much interest at this point?

MACVICAR: We're told that his name is Abdul Hay, that he is believed to be an Afgan national. Why this has caused so much concern there is a man named Abdul Hay who is on an American list actually held captive by the Americans, French intelligence sources say, in Kandahar, that he escaped U.S. custody, and that he is known to have been very close to the former Taliban chief of intelligence there.

The concern, of course, exhibition that this Abdul Hay, who was on that passenger manifest from one of those Air France flight 68s. is in fact the same man. We are told by French intelligence sources that American intelligence officials have told their French counterparts that they believe he may be in possession or have access to some kind of a small, concealed bomb, and thus, this manhunt now taking place throughout Europe. The french justice minister confirming today we are looking for someone. It's important to know when someone doesn't take plane, why they don't take it -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: So do they feel like they're hot on his trail? Do they feel like they have no idea where this man has disappeared to?

MACVICAR: We know they have been going through and trying to ascertain what kind of passport. There was some suggestion he might have been traveling -- or this Abdul Hay might have been traveling on a French passport. I've been told by French intelligence sources that they have been unavailable to validate that, unable to come up with a legitimate French passport in the name of Abdul Hay. Of course, we know from previous experience he may have access to other documents, false documents, he may be using more than one identity. It may be very difficult to track him down, but that is what they're trying to do now.

But again, remember, it's just a similarity in names at this point, no confirmation that the man who tried to get on that plane is in fact the same man once close to a Taliban intelligence chief -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Sheila MacVicar for us from London this morning. Sheila, thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 7, 2004 - 09:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: There are security concerns today about a man who was booked on a flight from Paris to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve, but did not show up. Investigators in Europe have been searching for him ever since.
Sheila MacVicar is standing by for us in London as more is being learned about this story.

Sheila, good morning.

SHEIAL MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

Indeed, this man was booked on one of those six Air France flight 68s that was due to depart Paris for los Angeles Over the Christmas period. And you remember of course that Those flights were grounded because of security concerns. U.S. officials saying they had picked up undefined chatter. We now know a lot more about what officials were concerned about.

In a meeting that took place in Washington, French intelligence and their American counterparts got together and went through and reconciled the passenger list, people who were booked on the flight, people who didn't show up. They came up with between two and four names, French intelligence sources tell CNN, and now, they are left with one, and that is the man for whom they are searching and searching quite urgently throughout Europe.

O'BRIEN: Sheila, quick question for you. Obviously, knot much is known for not much is being released about this man, including his identitity at this point. But what is known? What do you know about this person that is the object of so much interest at this point?

MACVICAR: We're told that his name is Abdul Hay, that he is believed to be an Afgan national. Why this has caused so much concern there is a man named Abdul Hay who is on an American list actually held captive by the Americans, French intelligence sources say, in Kandahar, that he escaped U.S. custody, and that he is known to have been very close to the former Taliban chief of intelligence there.

The concern, of course, exhibition that this Abdul Hay, who was on that passenger manifest from one of those Air France flight 68s. is in fact the same man. We are told by French intelligence sources that American intelligence officials have told their French counterparts that they believe he may be in possession or have access to some kind of a small, concealed bomb, and thus, this manhunt now taking place throughout Europe. The french justice minister confirming today we are looking for someone. It's important to know when someone doesn't take plane, why they don't take it -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: So do they feel like they're hot on his trail? Do they feel like they have no idea where this man has disappeared to?

MACVICAR: We know they have been going through and trying to ascertain what kind of passport. There was some suggestion he might have been traveling -- or this Abdul Hay might have been traveling on a French passport. I've been told by French intelligence sources that they have been unavailable to validate that, unable to come up with a legitimate French passport in the name of Abdul Hay. Of course, we know from previous experience he may have access to other documents, false documents, he may be using more than one identity. It may be very difficult to track him down, but that is what they're trying to do now.

But again, remember, it's just a similarity in names at this point, no confirmation that the man who tried to get on that plane is in fact the same man once close to a Taliban intelligence chief -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Sheila MacVicar for us from London this morning. Sheila, thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com