'Canadian govt knew of threat to Air India plane'
Prior to the 1985 bombing of Air India's Kanishka flight which left all 329 people aboard dead, Canadian government and police knew of the terrorist threat and devised a security plan which was not acted upon, reveal the declassified documents rel...
By PTI |
TORONTO: Prior to the 1985 bombing of Air India's Kanishka flight which left all 329 people aboard dead, Canadian government and police knew of the terrorist threat and devised a security plan which was not acted upon, reveal the declassified documents released by a probe panel.
The documents show the threat was taken seriously and that a security plan was put in place, but not followed.
The Canadian Royal Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Foreign Service had all seen reliable information about threats to Air India, months before the June 1985 bombing, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported yesterday quoting the documents.
The latest findings come close on the heels of testimony from Ontario Lt Gov James Bartleman, who was in charge of the intelligence analysis and the security branch of the Department of External Affairs when the plane blew up.
He testified last week that he was scolded by an RCMP officer when he showed him - several days before the Air India bombing - a document suggesting a flight would be targeted on the weekend of the attack.
The documents also claim that Air India itself promised five months before Flight 182 exploded over the west coast of Ireland that "all baggage will be examined before loading."
The weekly Air India flight continued, even though a review of the security plan showed that "only random checks of the baggage" were being done.
The documents show the threat was taken seriously and that a security plan was put in place, but not followed.
The Canadian Royal Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Foreign Service had all seen reliable information about threats to Air India, months before the June 1985 bombing, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported yesterday quoting the documents.
The latest findings come close on the heels of testimony from Ontario Lt Gov James Bartleman, who was in charge of the intelligence analysis and the security branch of the Department of External Affairs when the plane blew up.
He testified last week that he was scolded by an RCMP officer when he showed him - several days before the Air India bombing - a document suggesting a flight would be targeted on the weekend of the attack.
The documents also claim that Air India itself promised five months before Flight 182 exploded over the west coast of Ireland that "all baggage will be examined before loading."
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The weekly Air India flight continued, even though a review of the security plan showed that "only random checks of the baggage" were being done.
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