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| Cameron and Sisi to Meet Amid Concerns Bomb Brought Down Russian Plane | Cameron and Sisi to Meet Amid Concerns Bomb Brought Down Russian Plane |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| LONDON — Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt were to meet at Downing Street on Thursday amid British concerns that a chartered Russian jetliner may have been brought down in the Sinai Peninsula by an explosive device — fears that Egyptian and Russian authorities said were premature, and that had not been substantiated. | LONDON — Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt were to meet at Downing Street on Thursday amid British concerns that a chartered Russian jetliner may have been brought down in the Sinai Peninsula by an explosive device — fears that Egyptian and Russian authorities said were premature, and that had not been substantiated. |
| The meeting, at which the two leaders were to discuss the security issues raised by the crash, could be tense. On Wednesday evening, the British government halted all flights between the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el Sheikh and Britain, affecting an estimated 20,000 British tourists who must now be brought home. Egypt, whose tourism industry has already been hurt by the crash over the weekend, has called the decision to cancel the flights premature. | The meeting, at which the two leaders were to discuss the security issues raised by the crash, could be tense. On Wednesday evening, the British government halted all flights between the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el Sheikh and Britain, affecting an estimated 20,000 British tourists who must now be brought home. Egypt, whose tourism industry has already been hurt by the crash over the weekend, has called the decision to cancel the flights premature. |
| Mr. Cameron said on Thursday that assuring the safety of British tourists was essential and it could take some time before all of them are home, according to the BBC, which quoted him as saying that it was “increasingly likely” a “terrorist bomb” was behind the crash. | |
| Russian officials said on Thursday that no theory of what caused the plane crash could be discounted. “Naturally, all information is being accumulated and delivered to the chief of state,” the Interfax news agency quoted the Kremlin’s press secretary, Dmitri S. Peskov, as saying. “Not a single theory can be ruled out, but there are no grounds to declare at least one of these theories more or less reliable as of yet. This can be done only by investigators.” | Russian officials said on Thursday that no theory of what caused the plane crash could be discounted. “Naturally, all information is being accumulated and delivered to the chief of state,” the Interfax news agency quoted the Kremlin’s press secretary, Dmitri S. Peskov, as saying. “Not a single theory can be ruled out, but there are no grounds to declare at least one of these theories more or less reliable as of yet. This can be done only by investigators.” |
| Asked whether the theory that terrorism felled the plane might affect Russian policy in Syria, Mr. Peskov said, “Hypothetical presumptions of this kind are totally inappropriate.” | Asked whether the theory that terrorism felled the plane might affect Russian policy in Syria, Mr. Peskov said, “Hypothetical presumptions of this kind are totally inappropriate.” |
| Alexander Neradko, head of the Federal Air Transport Agency in Russia, said investigators in Egypt investigating the crash would be examining the wreckage of the airplane, including the hand baggage and victims’ bodies to see if there are traces of explosive substances. “They will be studying aspects relating to a possible terrorist attack,” he said. | |
| He said a group of experts had already begun studying the transcripts of the plane’s flight recorder. | |
| Hossam Kamal, Egypt’s minister of civil aviation, said on Thursday that the suggestion that a bomb was aboard the aircraft was not based on facts, and that there was no evidence as of yet to confirm that theory. | Hossam Kamal, Egypt’s minister of civil aviation, said on Thursday that the suggestion that a bomb was aboard the aircraft was not based on facts, and that there was no evidence as of yet to confirm that theory. |
| The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the British decision to suspend flights had been taken unilaterally, without consulting Egypt. It said Egypt has responded to British security concerns by intensifying security measures at the Sharm el Sheikh airport. | |
| But the British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said the government had acted based on careful scrutiny of the facts available. | But the British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said the government had acted based on careful scrutiny of the facts available. |
| “We would have liked to have the luxury of a lot more time to think about it, look at it and discuss it, but we had British aircraft on the ground about to fly back to the U.K., and we had to take an immediate decision about what was in the best interests of the people on board,” the BBC quoted him as saying. | “We would have liked to have the luxury of a lot more time to think about it, look at it and discuss it, but we had British aircraft on the ground about to fly back to the U.K., and we had to take an immediate decision about what was in the best interests of the people on board,” the BBC quoted him as saying. |
| Sixteen flights had been due to leave Sharm el Sheikh for Britain on Thursday, and they have been affected by the temporary flight ban, according to the British government. | |
| Mr. Hammond said that Britain planned to work with the Egyptians to introduce special short-term security measures, such as additional baggage screening and searching, to get flights running quickly in order to repatriate British tourists. But the British government would then want sustainable improvements in security there before flights would return to a normal pattern. | Mr. Hammond said that Britain planned to work with the Egyptians to introduce special short-term security measures, such as additional baggage screening and searching, to get flights running quickly in order to repatriate British tourists. But the British government would then want sustainable improvements in security there before flights would return to a normal pattern. |
| “We will not resume normal flying activity until we are confident that there are long-term, sustainable arrangements in place that make flying between the U.K. and Sharm el Sheikh safe,” he added. | “We will not resume normal flying activity until we are confident that there are long-term, sustainable arrangements in place that make flying between the U.K. and Sharm el Sheikh safe,” he added. |
| Concern about the safety of British tourists has been particularly acute in the aftermath of a June 26 attack on a beachfront hotel in Sousse, Tunisia, which left 38 foreigners dead, many of them Britons. | Concern about the safety of British tourists has been particularly acute in the aftermath of a June 26 attack on a beachfront hotel in Sousse, Tunisia, which left 38 foreigners dead, many of them Britons. |
| The attack, during which an assailant targeted guests with a Kalashnikov rifle he had apparently hidden in a beach umbrella, shocked Britain while motivating the government’s resolve to try to assure the security of Britons, even in far-flung tourism spots. The death of 30 Britons prompted Mr. Cameron to consider asking Parliament to authorize airstrikes in Syria on the Islamic State, although he has not done so as of yet. | The attack, during which an assailant targeted guests with a Kalashnikov rifle he had apparently hidden in a beach umbrella, shocked Britain while motivating the government’s resolve to try to assure the security of Britons, even in far-flung tourism spots. The death of 30 Britons prompted Mr. Cameron to consider asking Parliament to authorize airstrikes in Syria on the Islamic State, although he has not done so as of yet. |
| But other countries, including Switzerland and Turkey, have continued their flights to Sharm el Sheikh. The civil aviation authority in Turkey said that there were no disruptions, and that both Pegasus Airlines and Turkish Airlines were flying there directly. | But other countries, including Switzerland and Turkey, have continued their flights to Sharm el Sheikh. The civil aviation authority in Turkey said that there were no disruptions, and that both Pegasus Airlines and Turkish Airlines were flying there directly. |
| According to the Egyptian authorities, there were 23 flights operating to Sharm el Sheikh on Thursday from Russia, eight from Ukraine, three from Italy, two from Saudi Arabia, and one each from Belgium, Jordan and Turkey. | According to the Egyptian authorities, there were 23 flights operating to Sharm el Sheikh on Thursday from Russia, eight from Ukraine, three from Italy, two from Saudi Arabia, and one each from Belgium, Jordan and Turkey. |
| In a sign of how the crash has galvanized Britain, Mr. Cameron was expected to lead a so-called Cobra meeting on Thursday, during which crucial officials meet to discuss how to respond to internal or external crises with major consequences for the country. He was also expected to speak to the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, to discuss the security situation. | |
| While there has been much speculation on what caused the crash, the cause largely remains a mystery. American military officials said this week that satellite surveillance had detected a flash of light as the jet was ripped apart, suggesting it had been blown up by a bomb, a mechanical failure or an accidental explosion of fuel. But counterterrorism officials have cautioned strongly against jumping to premature conclusions. | While there has been much speculation on what caused the crash, the cause largely remains a mystery. American military officials said this week that satellite surveillance had detected a flash of light as the jet was ripped apart, suggesting it had been blown up by a bomb, a mechanical failure or an accidental explosion of fuel. But counterterrorism officials have cautioned strongly against jumping to premature conclusions. |