Singer Formerly Known As Cat Stevens To Return To Britain After U.S. Security Flap

WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (AFP) - The British musician formerly known as Cat Stevens, whose plane was diverted in the northern United States Tuesday "on national security grounds," was to return to Britain Wednesday, a US official said.
The singer, who changed his name to Yusuf Islam after converting to Islam in 1977, was traveling on a plane bound from London to Washington that was diverted to Bangor, Maine when officials learned that he was on board, the official said on condition of anonymity. The FBI office in Boston also confirmed the information.
The official said the singer's presence on the plane went unnoticed at London's Heathrow airport. But when the United Airlines passenger information was sent to US authorities, the name "Yusuf Islam" popped up on several watch lists, sparking the decision to land the plane at the nearest airport.
A spokesman for the US Department of Homeland Security, Garrison Courtney, told AFP that the singer's name "was placed on watch lists because of concerns that the US has about activities that can potentially be related to terrorism.
"More recently, our intelligence community has come into the possession of additional information that further hightens our concerns towards Yusuf Islam," Courtney said.
Islam, who was taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs officials on his arrival in Maine, was believed to be a financial supporter of groups with suspected terrorist ties, US officials told The New York Times in a report published Wednesday.
"He is due to be returned to the UK today (Wednesday)," a British embassy official confirmed.