Planes straying over D-Day 'will be shot'

by COLIN FERNANDEZ, Daily Mail

Last updated at 13:03 31 May 2004


One of the biggest security operations since the Second World War will be put in place to protect the D-Day 60th anniversary ceremonies.

Private planes straying into Normandy air space during next weekend's events will be shot down, according to French defence officials.

With 16 heads of state present, including the Queen, George Bush and Russian president Vladimir Putin, organisers are concerned about a potential attack by Al Qaeda.

Around 9,000 French troops are arriving in the area this week to support the 6,300 gendarmes and 2,300 police officers on duty.

Precautions

Further precautions include two squadrons of Mirage 2000 fighters stationed at a temporary 120-acre airbase near Caen.

There, 800 soldiers are on alert night and day, supported by 50 military helicopters and anti-aircraft missile defences.

In addition a giant radar network has been set up between Deauville and Cherbourg - with Awacs early warning aircraft patrolling the skies.

The focus of events will be the village of Arromanches, where French president Jacques Chirac will symbolically award the French Legion D'Honneur to ten D-Day veterans of each of the 14 countries that took part.

Multiple dangers

A French military spokesman said: "The dangers are multiple, from a hijacked airliner being crashed into the stands at the main international ceremony at Arromanches to a tiny bomb being detonated remotely.

"But we are stretching an impenetrable fabric of protection above Normandy.

"Ground-to-air missiles have been deployed in the area and an air force has been established close to Caen for the past eight days.

"In the event of an aircraft approaching designated air space above the Normandy landing beaches every effort will be made to identify it prior to action being taken.

"A decision to intervene by way of fighter aircraft or ground to air missiles would have to come from the Prime Minister. Such a decision could be taken within an extremely short period of time."

Town square ban

The residents of Arromanches have been told to either stay indoors next Sunday or leave town.

The villagers will be banned from their town square - where the Queen will attend a British ceremony the next day - and they are under orders to evacuate the streets by 6am the following day.

As part of an unprecedented security operation on land, sea and air, the clifftops closest to Arromanches will be out of bounds for five days.

The security measures are expected to bring areas of Normandy to a virtual standstill.

Last week, the whole of the Lower Normandy region was put on level "red", the second highest in the French government's security plan. Level "red" triggers random searches on trains, restrictions of air space and protection of drinking water.

The whole country will be raised to level "red" from June 5 to June 7.

Special forces commandos

A detachment of special forces commandos will patrol offshore and a French minesweeper will trawl the English Channel.

The vessel will be joined by French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its American sister ship, the USS Washington.

The mayor of Arromanches, Patrick Jardin, said the locals, who celebrate D-Day every year, believed the event was being hijacked.

"I've been telling everyone that if they want to see the 60th anniversary this year, the best place to be will be in their living rooms with the television on," he said. "The sad thing for us here is that June 6 is almost more important than Bastille Day. They've stolen our party."

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