Two men removed from NY-bound flight in LA

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Authorities removed two men from a United Airlines flight at Los Angeles International Airport for suspicious behavior on Monday, but later called the incident a false alarm.

The men, who were said to be from a Middle Eastern country, were taken off the flight, which was bound for New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport with an ultimate destination of Cairo, after members of the flight crew said they were behaving suspiciously.

But an FBI spokeswoman, Laura Eimiller, said the men were cooperative during interviews and agents determined that they posed no threat.

Eimiller said concerns were raised when one of the men got up to use the plane's restroom just before take-off, ignoring orders from the flight crew to remain in his seat.

Passengers and luggage were put through a second security screening as a precaution.

The two men would be allowed to continue their journey on a later flight, Eimiller said.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)