The US government is requiring airlines at foreign airports to add a new layer of security on direct flights to the US that includes
intelligence data in an effort to prevent a breach such as the attempted bomb attack on an airliner near Detroit on Christmas Day.
The new procedures, announced by the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration, include additional screening measures for explosives, such as detection of chemicals, advanced imaging and bomb-sniffing dogs.
“These new measures utilise real-time, threat-based intelligence along with multiple, random layers of security, both seen and unseen, to more effectively mitigate evolving terrorist threats,” DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said on Friday. In addition, domestic and foreign airlines now will have access to US intelligence data that will augment passenger screening, according to an administration official, who spoke anonymously.
The intelligence material might include recent travels of a would-be passenger, whether they visited a terrorist camp for training, partial names, recent residence or unusual facial features that would flag them as a “person of concern.”
Airlines, acting with host governments and overseas airport personnel, would match that data against names on airline tickets, passports or other security checks. If results raise suspicion, passengers would be pulled aside for a secondary screening that may include questions, pat-down or both. The new procedures are more refined than current ones and can be updated almost instantly with new intelligence as it becomes available, the official said.
The administration official said the addition of fresh intelligence data increases the possibility that a future terrorist would be blocked from boarding a US-bound flight. New security procedures reflect a stronger “filter” to weed out potential terror suspects, the official said. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian, smuggled explosives hidden in his underwear and boarded a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport to Detroit on Christmas Day, according to authorities.
The bombing attempt failed as the jetliner landed in Detroit.
President Barack Obama ordered an investigation and review of aviation security procedures in January. The addition of intelligence data in the screening process is the result of a 90-day review, the official said. Napolitano briefed the president on the plan this week, the official said. Napolitano has obtained agreements with foreign governments over the past several weeks to put the plan into effect.
In a separate step, the administration released a review of security efforts and gaps involving US mass transit, commuter and long-distance passenger rail such as Amtrak, freight rail, commercial vehicles and pipelines. The yearlong study showed the nation’s transportation network is vulnerable to attack and lists 20 steps that should be taken by the government to boost security. They include such measures as grants to pay for increased security and uniform security audits and inspections.
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