Britain’s Beckett Angry at American Resupply Flights
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
LONDON — The British government will make a “formal protest” to America if it used a Scottish airport to transfer bombs to Israel, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said yesterday.
Ms. Beckett has already told Secretary of State Rice she is “not happy” about reports that Prestwick airport, near Glasgow, was used as part of the transportation of “bunker busting” bombs. Her comments mark the first public split between Britain and America over the fighting in the Middle East.
The Daily Telegraph reported that two planes carrying GBU 28 laser-guided bombs landed at Prestwick last weekend to refuel en route to Israel, citing unidentified defense sources. Ms. Beckett, who is in Rome with Ms. Rice for a conference on the Middle East crisis, said her department was investigating the claim.
“I’ve already let the U.S. know that this is an issue where it appears to be seriously at fault, that we will be making a formal protest …” Ms. Beckett said.
