Security Roundup

Date Incident 23 Jan The number of Australian armed sky marshals is to be slashed on some international flights as part of an astringency overhaul of the highly secretive anti-terror program. Changes to the Air Security Officer program will result in the number of marshals on some 747 flights being reduced...

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Date	Incident
23 Jan	The number of Australian armed sky marshals is to be slashed on some international flights as part of an astringency overhaul of the highly secretive anti-terror program. Changes to the Air Security Officer program will result in the number of marshals on some 747 flights being reduced by a third. There will also be a reduction in the rest periods officers will be allowed at the end of long-haul flights and a system of rotation that will have staff seconded to other areas of the Australian Federal Police for periods of three months. Initially there were 130 armed security officers available to patrol domestic and international flights operated by Australian- registered airlines, with the marshals traveling incognito, their presence known only to the captain. At a minimum, they travelled in teams of two, although on long-haul flights the number was usually higher. Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus declined to comment, saying the program was classified. The changes result from recommendations contained in a report commissioned by the Aust Federal Police in June 2007. That review "identified aspects of the program that could be refocused to better align it with the contemporary aviation security environment."
23 Jan	The first tests of technology to counter shoulder-fired missiles are set to begin in April, so the pro-con arguments are gaining impetus. Airlines say the tests are a waste of money that should be spent to address more immediate threats. Carriers also note that the technology has a high failure rate. Advocates say that this defensive system is essential to protecting America from another devastating terrorist attack on the aviation system - one that could cost hundreds of lives and tens of billions of dollars. But they also acknowledge that it will be expensive: Just to equip all commercial planes would cost an estimated $11 billion, which is before maintenance and operation costs. Opponents, including major US airlines - even American, which is nonetheless cooperating via its conduct of the test - argue that such a system would be a wasteful use of limited homeland-security dollars. The money, they say, could be better spent on less-expensive defenses and more-immediate threats. In addition, the technology has documented high failure rates, they note. The debate has pitted the airlines against some powerful members of Congress, who have passed legislation mandating that the Dept. of Homeland Security carry out this current $29 million test. Less expensive defenses include creating ground-based antimissile systems around airports and developing unmanned aerial vehicles or drones that could circle airports and shoot down shoulder-fired missiles. DHS is currently studying these options.
23 Jan	Since 2004, nonresidents traveling internationally have been required to allow airport personnel to scan their two index fingers at airports as part of a program called US-VISIT. But now, foreign travelers will be asked to scan all 10 fingers, an enhancement the U.S. Department of Homeland Security hopes will help officials more closely monitor watch-lists of suspected terrorists, criminals and immigration violators. Logan Airport becomes the third airport to use 10-finger scanners. Dulles Airport, serving Washington, D.C., began using the devices in November, while Atlanta's airport began using the new system in January. Seven other airports are scheduled to start using the new system by the end of February, including Chicago O'Hare, San Francisco, Houston, Miami, Detroit, Orlando and New York's Kennedy. By the end of the year, the devices are expected to be up and running in all of the nation's international airports, as well as seaports and border points.
23 Jan	Before the passenger boarded his flight about 7:30 am, he realized that he had a gun and returned voluntarily to the security checkpoint at Reagan National Airport that he'd just passed through unchallenged. The agency's officers took the gun and issued a summons and the man was allowed to continue his trip. The man identified himself as Gregory S. Hinkle of Davis, WVA. He is due to appear in court on April 2 on a misdemeanor charge of possessing or transporting a firearm within an airline terminal. It's not known whether the gun was on the man's person or in a bag or indeed, whether it was loaded or if the man had ammunition on his person. A TSA spokesman said testing had showed that the agency has had a "very high success rate" in detecting firearms. But perhaps this success count only includes the ones that "didn't get away."
22 Jan	Singapore's Defence Ministry said two Republic of Singapore Air Force planes took off to intercept a single-engine turboprop Cessna 208 and escort it to Changi Airport. The float-plane was flying in from Thailand's Koh Samui Island without a valid flight plan. The aircraft was bought this month by Mary Cummins, who co-owns a tourist adventure flight company with Rhys Thomas, a former pilot with Australian airline Ansett. The plane had previously been flown by an airline in Koh Samui. The shutdown of commercial airspace affected a total of 23 aircraft, disrupting flights in and out of Changi and cost thousands of dollars in fuel lost as the airliners circled Singapore while waiting to land. The closure of commercial airspace for about 50 minutes affected 16 incoming flights and six departing aircraft were delayed for between 15 and 40 minutes each. Another inbound aircraft was diverted to Senai Airport in neighboring Malaysia.
22 Jan	U.S. authorities have charged a teenage boy who said he planned to hijack a commercial jetliner in an attempt to commit suicide, according to an FBI spokesman. The 16-year-old was taken into custody by airport police without incident after flying from Los Angeles, California, to Nashville, Tennessee, on Southwest Airlines Flight 284. "His stated intent was to hijack the airplane and commit suicide," said George Bolds, an FBI spokesman in Memphis, Tennessee. "He did indicate he intended to die in Louisiana. It appears he had a ticket to Louisiana." Bolds said the boy indicated he had lived in Louisiana. The teen wanted to crash the plane into a Hannah Montana concert in Lafayette, Louisiana. The concert was scheduled for Friday night at the Lafayette Cajundome. It's believed that the youth's intentions were determined from a message he sent or note that he left behind.
22 Jan	Police have seized a laser, and are asking witnesses to come forward after a laser light was pointed at two domestic aircraft over western Sydney. At about the same time, police were tipped off by motorists via Crimestoppers hot-lines that a laser was being pointed at vehicles and aircraft from a silver Pulsar or Subaru at Pendle Hill. Last August, the pilot of a Qantas Boeing 767 from Sydney carrying 185 passengers to Darwin was targeted by a powerful laser beam, prompting an investigation by federal police and aviation authorities. The incident, just before midnight on Aug. 3, resulted in the pilot having to fly the next day's return leg from Darwin to Sydney as a passenger. He was referred to a Qantas doctor for assessment. Late last year, police said there had been an increase in the number of such incidents, with lasers aimed mainly at aircraft on approach, including planes as far out as 25 kilometers from Sydney Airport over outlying areas such as Liverpool and Leppington. Increased penalties are being planned for offenders demonstrably targeting aircraft - and presumably, rewards for tipsters.
21 Jan	Major hotel chains are featuring in the latest marketing ploys by purveyors of CLEAR, the travelers' expeditor. Passers by, hotel patrons or transient travelers flying out of Denver can now enroll in the Clear program in the hotel lobby of the Grand Hyatt. Travelers who have their iris and fingerprint scanned at the enrollment stations can then get their security card by applying online at http://www.FlyClear.com. A Clear Card will set you back $100. There is also another $28 fee for a Transportation Security Administration background check.
21 Jan	Three passengers on an Alitalia airline flight from Milan were arrested after they failed to heed requests to turn off their mobile phones. The Alitalia captain, who had already asked three times for passengers to switch off their mobiles, aborted takeoff at the last minute because he noticed interference with the plane's navigation instruments. Police boarded the plane at Milan's Linate Airport and arrested the three offending passengers identified by the flight crew. The three face prosecution for failing to observe safety regulations and are liable for up to three months in jail.
21 Jan	Airport screeners this month began using handheld black lights to examine driver's licenses and passenger identification cards. The black lights illuminate holograms on passports and licenses and are part of an effort by the TSA to check passengers more thoroughly. The scanners illuminate the ID cards and will show any imperfections or tampering that has occurred to government seals. Some 2,100 scanners - which are just 3 inches long - are eventually going to be in use at over 800 security checkpoints across the US. They are already in use at over 400 airports around the country, with another 50 to follow in the next few weeks. The Transport Security Administration, whose staff are responsible for checking passengers' documents and who will be using the new scanners, said the introduction of the UV scanners represents "a significant security upgrade."
17 Jan	Thousands of non-venomous rat snakes were shipped as cargo in 60 boxes on a Vietnam Airlines flight from Bangkok to Hanoi's Noi Bai airport. The ton of live snakes had been declared as fish. Large numbers of the reptiles, weighing between 200 grams (.44 pounds) to 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) were surrounded by plastic filled with ice water, but had died. The snakes are protected animals, and may have been en route to another country. Last month, Vietnamese authorities also found some 700 kilograms (1,540 pounds) of dead snakes on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok. "Obviously, there are some problems with cargo inspection at the Bangkok airport," said airline spokesman Trinh Ngoc Thanh. "We plan to send a letter to the Bangkok airport authorities urging them to enhance inspection to avoid this incident from happening again."
15 Jan	Kansas City's airport was evacuated and locked down for three hours after a passenger accidentally brought an inactive grenade in a carry-on bag. Security screeners found the grenade, which had been hollowed out for display, at a checkpoint. The passenger was later allowed to board his flight
12 Jan	The use of armed "sky marshals" on airliners is set to spread across Europe, following a deal on aviation security hammered out in the 27-nation European Union. At the end of consultations, European parliament members and officials from EU states agreed on a compromise setting common rules and standards. "The necessity of new security measures that are implemented quickly and effectively is undoubted," transport committee chairman Paolo Costa said. The deal sets common basic standards for airport and aircraft security, passengers and baggage, categories of articles that may be prohibited, cargo and mail, in-flight and airport supplies, and staff recruitment and training. Countries deploying in-flight security officers will have to ensure that they are selected and trained under a strict regimen. Weapons may only be carried on an aircraft under special security conditions. Parts of the package, which still has to be rubber stamped by EU transport ministers and a full plenary session of the parliament in March, could come into force by April. Sky marshals are flying with some EU airlines, but being regulated at a national level. All this legislation will do is to require them to be trained and deployed to stringent international standards.
11 Jan	Airport officials say travelers are getting smarter, according to the Transportation Security Administration. They're bringing fewer guns, knives and other weapons to airport security checkpoints, allowing screeners to focus on explosives, bomb parts and other items that threaten airliners. TSA screeners intercepted 6.4 million prohibited items from 760 million U.S. air travelers in 2007. That's a steep drop from 2005, when 16 million items were taken at the nation's 800 airport checkpoints, TSA figures show.