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Kenya warning strands tourists
LONDON, England (CNN) -- About 1,200 British tourists were potentially stranded in Kenya Friday after UK-based airlines were ordered to suspend flights because of "a credible terrorist threat to Western interests." The last British Airways flight from Nairobi landed in London Friday morning with passengers telling of their relief to be home. Some told of fretful phone calls with relatives as they boarded the plane amid warnings of an "imminent terrorist attack on British interests" in the east African state. But others were unaware of the crisis, saying their suspicions were only aroused by extra security checks before they departed. The advice by Britain's Department of Transport to suspend flights to and from Kenya followed a warning by the Nairobi government of an attack by an individual they believe to have been involved in earlier terrorist incidents. The UK Foreign Office also advised Britons already in Kenya to keep a low profile and be vigilant in public places. About 100,000 Britons holiday each year in Kenya, which was the scene of a car bomb attack on a Mombasa hotel last November in which 13 people were killed. Two missiles were fired at an Israeli charter jet the same day. But Kenya's security chief, Chris Murunguru, said this week's move by Britain was an overreaction. "The action taken by the British government was extreme, and action like this means they are giving terrorists a moral score," he said. British High Commissioner Edward Clay refused on Friday to give details of the information leading to the flight suspension, but he confirmed that Fazul Abdullah Mohammed's reported return to Kenya from neighboring Somalia was linked to the decision. The Kenyan government suspects Mohammed was involved in masterminding the August 1998 bomb blast at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi that killed more than 200 Kenyans, as well as the Mombasa attacks. "It's simply one factor in a wave of recent reporting on this theme, which in the wake of the Riyadh events, give us very serious concern," Clay told British radio, referring to Monday's suicide bomb blasts in the Saudi Arabian capital that killed 34 people. Those attacks have been linked to al Qaeda. (Bin Laden 'to blame') Asked whether the presence of one terror suspect in Kenya warranted suspending flights, Clay replied: "It warrants taking serious account of the possibility that there is active planning going on for a further attack." Clay said his staff were working closely with British Airways to help stranded passengers return home although it is unclear how many flights have been grounded. BA has one round-trip flight a day to Nairobi, which was canceled indefinitely while Kenya Airways' seven flights a week from London to Kenya were unaffected by Thursday's decision. Regional Air, a division of British Airlines has also suspended flights but it was unclear what other airlines would do.
"The safety and security of our customers is always our first priority and will never be compromised," British Airways said in a written statement. "We remain in close contact with the relevant authorities and will keep the situation under close review." The Association of British Travel Agents said people who have scheduled holiday tours to Kenya will be offered alternate destinations or travel dates, or a refund. ABTA said it would post developments on its Web site. But one passenger who landed at Heathrow airport on Friday, Leon Mielewczyk, 48, said a number of passengers were left "in the dark" about the situation and that one anxious passenger spoke to the captain during the flight. "BA said there was a potential terrorism risk going on and that was all we heard," Mielewczyk told the UK Press Association. "Some people were completely in the dark about what was happening." The United States and Australia have also issued fresh travel advisories for Kenya. U.S. officials have said intelligence suggests more terror attacks were possible soon in Kenya and Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines and Malaysia. (Full story)
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