HoustonChronicle.com - French police don't believe bomber on the loose

"'French intelligence services in constant touch with American partners conducted additional investigations that produced no new indications that could confirm the theory put forward by American media,' said a police spokeswoman, who declined to be named.

'The investigations turned up nothing to show that there was somebody with al-Qaida links carrying a bomb,' she added. 'There is nothing, nothing, nothing at this time that suggests something is amiss.' "

So we're back to the original question: was it just more bad US intelligence or was it politically motivated?