OTTAWA— Authorities conducted stringent checks of passengers and baggage at major Canadian airports today in response to warnings that a Libyan would try to bomb a Washington bound airliner this weekend.
The Montreal Gazette said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police received a tip that a Libyan sympathizer was trying to buy deny on Monday.
In Toronto, The Globe and Mail Newspaper quoted sources who said police were told early last month a Libyan in Ottawa had been paid $80,000 for a terrorist mission. Special RCMP teams have investigated around the clock for a month, the newspaper said.
The Montreal report also said “an underworld contact” informed the RCMP he was approached by Libyan seeking explosives. The Gazette said the Mounties conducted raids in Quebec Thursday and took in at least one suspect for questioning.
But the government would not comment on the reason for what a “‘medium-level” alert announced in Ottawa Thursday by Transportation Minister Donald Mazankowski. He did say a warning had been received “in the last couple of days.
Airlines were ordered to conduct more careful passenger and baggage checks, to tighten access to airports both on the ground and in the air and to match passengers and luggage with tickets issued for each flight.
Airlines were also told to handle cargo from known shippers only, government officials said.
The security measures were reported causing delays of 15 to 20 minutes at most airports.
The United States has imposed stringent economic sanctions against Libya and is seeking support for the move from its allies. Whitehead flew from Ottawa to Europe for meetings with the leaders of eight more countries.
A copy of the Canadian security alert order was sent to the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 24, 1986
