WASHINGTON – U.S. authorities have moved to avert the possibility of terrorist chemical or biological attacks by crop duster planes.
Small planes like this ‘crop-duster’ spray American farms. Security officials worry the same technology could be used to distribute deadly chemical or biological materials.
Officials have temporarily banned all flights of crop-duster aircraft for the second time in two weeks. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft Monday grounded the crop-dusting planes for reasons of national security.
Mr. Ashcroft also appealed to the public to immediately notify the Federal Bureau of Investigation of what he called any “suspicious circumstances” regarding crop-dusting aircraft.
Fears about the crop dusting planes, which are used to apply pesticides to fields of produce, have increased.
Apparently Mohammad Atta, a suspected hijacker in the jetliner attack on the World Trade Center, had asked about the possible use of the planes.
A crop-dusting manual was found among the belongings of another man now being held in connection with the attacks.
Experts believe the planes could be very effective in spreading lethal toxins or chemicals over populated areas.
A ban on crop duster flights was first imposed last week and then modified to keep crop dusters away from metropolitan areas. (wn)
