ABOARD THE PRIME MINISTER’S PLANE, July 29: President George Bush apologised to British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday for the use by the United States of a Scottish airport to transport bombs to Israel, Mr Blair’s spokesman said.

“President Bush did apologise for the fact that proper procedures were not followed but that was all. It was just one line,” he told reporters as Mr Blair flew from Washington to San Francisco.

Two more US cargo aircraft carrying weapons for Israel are due to make stopovers at a Scottish airport over the next couple of days with the approval of the British government, airport authorities said on Saturday.

The two Boeing 747s are carrying ‘dangerous material’ from Texas to Tel Aviv, and have been given authorisation to land, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.

The planes that landed at Glasgow Prestwick Airport last weekend had been designated ‘civilian flights’ and US officials had failed to notify British authorities of their dangerous contents, which included bunker-busting bombs, The Times newspaper had reported.

Mr Blair’s spokesman added that Mr Bush had said: “Sorry there was a problem.”

The prime minister flew to San Francisco after holding talks on the Middle East crisis with Mr Bush at the White House.

Mr Blair headed to the US west coast to promote British commercial interests, especially in the innovation and biotechnology sectors.—AFP