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| Possibility of Plots Prompts More Checks for Explosives at Airports |
| 2010-01-15 |
| WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security moved Thursday to increase random checks for explosives at American airports after officials cited a heightened concern over possible terror plots against the aviation system. Counterterrorism officials said that recent intelligence tips had hinted at a planned attack by Qaeda operatives, but that the threat information was vague and did not specify a particular target or date. Still, after failing to anticipate the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight, government officials said they wanted to take every precaution. “We must remain vigilant about the continued threat we face' from Al Qaeda, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement. “We are facing a determined enemy and we appreciate the patience of all Americans and visitors to our country, and the cooperation of our international partners as well as a committed airline industry.' The measures will include random checks with explosive-detection devices of passengers or baggage at locations around some American airports, not just at security checkpoints, one Homeland Security Department official said. The devices search for trace amounts of explosives as a sign that someone might be carrying a bomb. Air marshals will also more frequently board flights on certain unidentified routes, officials said. Canine teams and so-called behavior detection officers — which have been deployed in larger numbers since the Dec. 25 episode — will continue to patrol airports, looking for suspicious activity or explosives. Three American counterterrorism officials declined Thursday evening to say what prompted the new travel advisory. But they suggested that they had seen an increase in tips about a possible attack from Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemen-based group that claimed credit for the failed Dec. 25 plot. A Nigerian man was indicted last week in that case, accused of concealing explosives in his underwear on Northwest Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit. “They continue to plot, and one of their major goals is to hit the United States,' one official said, adding that he was not authorized to discuss the matter on the record. “Everyone understands that, and we have fresh, credible evidence of it.' The official indicated that the government had obtained the intelligence in the last few days. “Our concern about AQAP has intensified,' said a second intelligence official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, referring to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. “The threat from Al Qaeda did not end on Dec. 25.' Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security intelligence subcommittee, said in a telephone interview that administration officials had told lawmakers in closed briefings on Wednesday that there could be “a couple of more' Yemeni-trained suicide bombers on the loose, but that the source of the information “was not very reliable.' Federal officials have said the suspect in the Dec. 25 attempt told them he had obtained explosive chemicals and a syringe from a bomb expert in Yemen. The changes this week at airports nationwide will be modest, compared with security already in place, said a Homeland Security Department official, who said she was not authorized to discuss the matter on the record. Some passengers may not even notice them, she added. For example, pat-downs will not be required of all passengers before boarding; the practice is mandatory for anyone flying to the United States from or through 14 mostly Muslim countries. But pat-downs will occur randomly at domestic airports more often, the official said. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #4 WORLD NEWS > AIR AL QAEDA: ARE LATIN AMERICA'S DRUG CARTELS GIVING AL QAEDA A LIFT [airlift]??? Unfortunately no "SIERRA/MILE HIGH CLUB" points, ... ... OR IS THERE??? [DRAGNET theme here]. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-01-15 23:38 |
| #3 CNN + FOX NEWS AM > seems the US Govt believes that AQ-affiliated Yemeni Terrorists are exploring using MISCELLANEOUS NON-AIRLINE/AIRCRAFT BASED MEDIUMS FOR NEW TERROR STRIKES AGZ THE USA, e.g RAIL = RAILROAD??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-01-15 20:52 |
| #2 PAKISTANI DEFENC EFORUM > WMR INTELLIGENCE SOURCES: [AbdulMutallab] DETROIT PLANE INCIDENT WAS A "FALSE FLAG" OPERATION INVOLVING THE US CIA, ISRAELI MOSSAD, AND INDIAN RAW AGENCIES [ + even Afghanis KHAN]. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-01-15 20:49 |
| #1 ION PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > MILITARY TECH FOR THE 21st CENTURY, FROM FLYING ROBOTS TO DRIVERLESS VEHICLES. THE NEXT GENERATION OF BATTLEFIELD GEAR. * WAFF > STRATEGYPAGE - THE US ARMY GETS TRANSFORMED BY ACCIDENT [vee AFPAK insurgency + GWOT], + THE THINNING RED LINE. Iff you thought the Brit Armed Forces couldn't get any smaller, + no Brit MP would allow it to do so, YOU WERE WRONG. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-01-15 20:01 |