SECURITY BREACH AT PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU AIRPORT

UNCLAS MONTREAL 000233 SIPDIS DEPT FOR S/ES-O, WHA/CAN AND CA/OCS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED E.0. 12958:N/A TAGS: EAIR ASEC CASC CA SUBJECT: SECURITY BREACH AT PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU AIRPORT REF: CG ALLEN TELCON OF 02/12/2004 WITH S/ES-O ¶1. SUMMARY. A SECURITY BREACH AT PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU AIRPORT (AKA DORVAL) AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45PM (1745 HOURS) ON THURSDAY (FEBRUARY 12) GROUNDED ALL OUTBOUND AIR TRAFFIC TO THE UNITED STATES FOR ALMOST TWO HOURS. SEVERAL PLANES IN FLIGHT WERE RECALLED TO DORVAL FOR RESTERILIZING. THE RESCREENING OF PASSENGERS AND BAGGAGE REVEALED NOTHING, PERMITTING THE RESUMPTION OF OUTBOUND FLIGHTS AROUND 8:00PM (2000 HOURS). END SUMMARY. ¶2. PER REF TELCON, A PASSENGER (WHO WAS IN MONTREAL FOR ONE OF POST'S SPEAKER'S PROGRAMS) CONTACTED POST'S PRINCIPAL OFFICER (PO) AT APPROXIMATELY 6:00PM (1800 HOURS) TO REPORT THAT THERE HAD BEEN A SECURITY BREACH AT DORVAL AIRPORT. CONSEQUENTLY, SHE REPORT THAT HER OUTBOUND PLANE WAS IN A HOLDING PATTERN ON THE TARMAC AND THAT OUTBOUND TRAFFIC WAS GROUNDED FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD. ¶3. PO CONTACTED DHS INSPECTORS AT THE U.S. PRE-FLIGHT FACILITY TO CONFIRM THE REPORT AND LEARNED A BAGGAGE CHECKER AT DORVAL HAD REPORTED THAT A MALE PASSENGER'S CARRY-ON BAGGAGE (A LAPTOP COMPUTER) HAD YIELD POSITIVE RESULTS FOR EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL. THE BAGGAGE CHECKER REPORTEDLY ASKED THE MALE PASSENGER TO WAIT SO THAT THE LAPTOP COULD BE RESTESTED, BUT SOMEHOW LOST SIGHT OF THE PASSENGER AND THE LAPTOP AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45PM. ALSO, THE BAGGAGE CHECKER COULD NOT PROVIDE A GOOD DESCRIPTION OF THE MALE PASSENGER. CONSEQUENTLY, ALL OUTBOUND TRAFFIC THAT HAD TAKEN OFF IN THE WINDOW FROM 5:45PM TO 6:00PM WAS RECALLED TO DORVAL AND ALL OUTBOUND PLANES ON THE TARMAC AFTER 5:45PM WERE GROUNDED. THE SEVERAL RETURNING FLIGHTS WERE RESTERILIZED (ALL PASSENGERS AND BAGGAGE WERE RESCREENED),BUT NOTHING WAS FOUND. ¶4. AT APPROXIMATELY 7:35PM (1935 HOURS) OUTBOUND FLIGHTS THAT HAD BEEN WAITING ON THE TARMAC WERE ALLOWED TO TAKE OFF. INBOUND TRAFFIC WAS NEVER AFFECTED. THERE WAS BEEN MINIMAL PRESS COVERAGE OF THE INCIDENT. ALLEN