U.S. Says Recent Actions Likely Prevented Air Attack

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said on Wednesday recent flight cancellations have likely thwarted a terror attack, however difficult they may have been for airlines and their passengers. He said the United States is working with Europe to decide how best to react to intelligence about potential threats. Speaking just days after the latest wave of transatlantic flight cancellations, Ridge acknowledged the process — particularly over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays — was “difficult” but said it was understandable. “Everybody understood, particularly after 9/11, why America continues to be … more concerned about aviation security than anybody else,” Ridge said when asked about reaction, mainly in France and Britain, to the recent flight cancellations. “We don’t have a transatlantic protocol yet but we’re working on the process (of) how do we share information, how do we look at it together and how do we arrive at a consensus around what we ought to do based on the threat,” he said in a meeting with a small group of reporters. Full Story