Washington, Aug 12: US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that he secretly switched aircraft while leaving Turkey last month because of a security threat linked to Iran, confirming details of an unusual operation that had remained hidden from the public.
Trump told reporters that the aircraft he was initially expected to use posed a greater risk of attack and that he followed his security team’s advice. He was secretly moved from the aircraft to a smaller US military jet in an airport catering vehicle.
“If there had been an attack, that plane would have been targeted,” Trump said, adding that he receives threats regularly and follows the instructions of security officials.
Trump had arrived in Ankara on a Boeing 747- 8 donated by Qatar and used it during his attendance at the NATO summit. On his return, however, he publicly appeared to board an older Air Force One, creating the impression that he would fly out of Turkey on that aircraft.
Instead, according to reports, Trump was moved through the airport in a catering truck and then transferred to a C-32A military aircraft. The operation was designed to conceal his actual location and prevent a potential attack on the president.
The move was so tightly controlled that some White House staff and journalists travelling with Trump reportedly did not know that he had left the aircraft. Journalists aboard the older Air Force One were instructed to keep their window shades closed during the flight, further limiting their ability to determine where the president was travelling.
The smaller military aircraft carrying Trump reached RAF Mildenhall in Britain at around 10:20 p.m. The older Air Force One arrived minutes later with journalists aboard. Trump was later seen returning to the older aircraft before continuing his journey, although the precise movements during the transfer were kept secret.
The revelation sheds new light on Trump’s unexpected decision to abandon the Qatari-donated aircraft during its first international trip. At the time, the White House had said the new aircraft was being sent ahead to Britain so US personnel could inspect it, while Trump described his decision to use the older plane as being “for old time’s sake”. The sudden change had already raised questions over the aircraft’s security capabilities.
US officials had previously said that intelligence indicated a credible threat against Trump from Iran or groups aligned with Tehran. Reports said the threat involved a possible attack against the president or his aircraft. The older Air Force One has defensive systems that the newly acquired aircraft did not yet fully possess.
The Qatar-donated Boeing 747-8 was provided to the US last year and rapidly modified for presidential use. The aircraft is intended as an interim presidential plane while Boeing works on delayed replacements for the ageing Air Force One fleet. Its cost, security features and acceptance as a gift from a foreign government have already triggered political and ethical debate.
The White House has denied that the Qatari aircraft is unsafe, saying extensive security measures are in place. The latest disclosure, however, indicates that presidential security officials were prepared to use a different aircraft and a deception operation when they judged the threat serious enough.
Using decoy aircraft and concealed travel routes is not unprecedented in US presidential security. Previous presidents have also used disguised or alternate aircraft to conceal their movements when travelling through high-risk areas. In Trump’s case, however, the use of an airport catering vehicle to secretly move a sitting president between aircraft has drawn unusual attention.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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