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| French Hold 3 Journalists in Drone Episodes, but No Link to Earlier Flights Is Seen | French Hold 3 Journalists in Drone Episodes, but No Link to Earlier Flights Is Seen |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| PARIS — In a signal of the French government’s concern about unauthorized drone flights in the capital, the Paris police detained three Al Jazeera journalists who were flying and filming a drone in a large park on the western edge of the city, according to a French prosecutor’s office. | PARIS — In a signal of the French government’s concern about unauthorized drone flights in the capital, the Paris police detained three Al Jazeera journalists who were flying and filming a drone in a large park on the western edge of the city, according to a French prosecutor’s office. |
| The arrests came after a second straight night of unidentified flying objects being spotted over some of Paris’s most identifiable landmarks, Paris police officials said Wednesday, fanning the anxiety over the phenomenon that began to raise worries late last year. | The arrests came after a second straight night of unidentified flying objects being spotted over some of Paris’s most identifiable landmarks, Paris police officials said Wednesday, fanning the anxiety over the phenomenon that began to raise worries late last year. |
| There was no apparent link between the arrests and the flights over central Paris on Monday and Tuesday nights, said Agnès Thibault-Lecuivre, the spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor. “One mustn’t conflate the two,” she said. | There was no apparent link between the arrests and the flights over central Paris on Monday and Tuesday nights, said Agnès Thibault-Lecuivre, the spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor. “One mustn’t conflate the two,” she said. |
| One of the Al Jazeera journalists, Tristan Redman, worked previously at The International Herald Tribune, now known as the International New York Times. | One of the Al Jazeera journalists, Tristan Redman, worked previously at The International Herald Tribune, now known as the International New York Times. |
| Ms. Thibault-Lecuivre said that there were different hypotheses about why they were flying the drone, but “most notably that it was footage for a news piece.” | |
| However, it is prohibited to fly drones over Paris without the authorization of the city’s prefect. Paris has been on a high security alert after terrorist attacks last month, including the assault on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which left a total 20 people dead. | However, it is prohibited to fly drones over Paris without the authorization of the city’s prefect. Paris has been on a high security alert after terrorist attacks last month, including the assault on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which left a total 20 people dead. |
| Ms. Thibault-Lecuivre said earlier in the day that it was drones from an unknown source that had been spotted overnight Monday and Tuesday near Les Invalides and Place de la Concorde, but that it was unclear how many drones had been involved and who was behind them. She did not say whether the overnight drone flights had been coordinated. | Ms. Thibault-Lecuivre said earlier in the day that it was drones from an unknown source that had been spotted overnight Monday and Tuesday near Les Invalides and Place de la Concorde, but that it was unclear how many drones had been involved and who was behind them. She did not say whether the overnight drone flights had been coordinated. |
| The police said Tuesday that they were investigating “overflights by aircraft in a forbidden area” after the first sightings of nighttime, which circled the Eiffel Tower and the United States Embassy. The drone sightings raised security concerns a month after deadly terrorist attacks in the Paris area. The United States Embassy did not comment on the sightings. Last year, officials investigated another mysterious wave of drone flights over more than a dozen nuclear plants across France, raising concerns about security around the country’s primary energy sources. | The police said Tuesday that they were investigating “overflights by aircraft in a forbidden area” after the first sightings of nighttime, which circled the Eiffel Tower and the United States Embassy. The drone sightings raised security concerns a month after deadly terrorist attacks in the Paris area. The United States Embassy did not comment on the sightings. Last year, officials investigated another mysterious wave of drone flights over more than a dozen nuclear plants across France, raising concerns about security around the country’s primary energy sources. |
| The authorities called those episodes an “organized provocation” aimed at “disrupting the surveillance chain and protection of these sites.” | The authorities called those episodes an “organized provocation” aimed at “disrupting the surveillance chain and protection of these sites.” |
| The drones were described by police officials as small and civilian or commercial, rather than of a military type. | The drones were described by police officials as small and civilian or commercial, rather than of a military type. |
| The latest drone sightings in France took place several weeks after an off-duty employee for a United States government intelligence agency accidentally crashed a commercial drone on the grounds of the White House. | The latest drone sightings in France took place several weeks after an off-duty employee for a United States government intelligence agency accidentally crashed a commercial drone on the grounds of the White House. |
| The employee said he had lost control of the drone as he operated it from his apartment a few blocks from the White House. He later got in touch with his employer and helped with the inquiry into the crash. Though White House officials described the drone as harmless, it raised questions about security. | The employee said he had lost control of the drone as he operated it from his apartment a few blocks from the White House. He later got in touch with his employer and helped with the inquiry into the crash. Though White House officials described the drone as harmless, it raised questions about security. |