Bush: Use Guard to Protect Airports(Federalizing Airport Security)

Yahoo ^ | 9/27/2001 | SCOTT LINDLAW

[Solson]

Thursday September 27 11:04 AM ET Bush: Use Guard to Protect Airports

Bush: Use Guard to Protect Airports

By SCOTT LINDLAW, Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO (AP) - President Bush urged governors Thursday to call up National Guard units to protect U.S. airports while he implements a long-term plan to secure airlines from terrorist attack. The package includes putting the federal government in charge of airport security.

Hoping to reassure jittery travelers, Bush also proposed spending $500 million on aircraft modifications that would deny or delay access to cockpits.

Terrorists hijacked four airplanes Sept. 11, crashing two into the World Trade Center in New York and one into the Pentagon outside Washington. A fourth crashed in Pennsylvania, apparently after passengers struggled with the hijackers. U.S. air travel has dropped sharply since the attacks.

The White House released an outline of Bush's air-security plan shortly before the president left for Chicago, where he was discussing the proposals with airline workers.

Hundreds of workers gathered outside an airport hangar to greet the president. Two jets were parked nose-to-nose at the event - one each from United Airlines and American Airlines, the carriers hijacked Sept. 11.

For the second time this year, Bush was having lunch here with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat and brother of Al Gore's campaign chairman last year.

Bush said Wednesday he was offering the ``confidence-boosting measures and some concrete proposals'' to ``convince the American public it is safe to fly.''

``One of my concerns is that this terrible incident has convinced many Americans to stay at home,'' Bush said. ``And one of the keys to economic recovery is going to be the vitality of the airline industry.''

Bush's plan includes:

-Expanding the use of federal air marshals aboard commercial airliners. ``The requirements and qualifications of federal air marshals are among the most stringent of any U.S. federal law enforcement agency,'' the White House statement said.

-Spending $500 million on plan modifications, including efforts to restrict the opening of cockpit doors during flights, fortify cockpit doors to deny access from the cabin, alert the cockpit crew to activity in the cabin and ensure continuous operation of the aircraft transponder in the event of an emergency. The transponder allows air controllers to track a plane.

-Putting the federal government in charge of airport security and screening, including the purchase and maintenance of all equipment. The government would supervise passenger and baggage security and perform background checks on security personnel. Uniformed federal workers would manage all operations; federal and nonfederal workers would share the security work.

``Fully implementing the extensive security proposal may take four to six months,'' the White House statement said. ``During that time, the president will help ensure that every airport has a strong security presence by asking the governors of the 50 states to call up the National Guard - at the federal government's expense - to augment existing security staff at every commercial airport nationwide.''

Bush's trip to Chicago was the second time he has traveled on Air Force One since the Sept. 11 jetliner attacks on New York and Washington that left nearly 7,000 dead or missing.

White House officials said the administration has several other options under consideration, including installing cameras to monitor jetliner cabins. Bush also hopes to reopen Reagan National Airport outside Washington, the only airport still closed due to the Sept. 11 attacks, but is not yet convinced that flying there would be safe, aides said. He is examining options that could lead to the reopening of the airport.

Bush's plan does not include arming pilots, action requested by the pilots themselves. ``There may be better ways to do it than that, but I'm open for any suggestion,'' Bush said Wednesday, as aides privately confirmed that he is cool to the idea.

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta boarded a commercial flight Thursday at Baltimore-Washington International Airport to demonstrate his confidence in the air system. He was bound for Chicago to join Bush, accompanied by Jane Garvey, head of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Mineta waited in a long line at a BWI security checkpoint. He placed a leather bag on a scanner's conveyor belt, took out his keys and walked through the metal detector. It beeped, prompting a security guard to give Mineta a thorough sweep with a hand-held detector before allowing him onto Concourse A.

Mineta called the system safe, secure and stable.

Bush's father, the nation's 41st president, planned a news conference at Logan Airport in Boston to reassure Americans before flying from Boston to Houston.

The White House is also eager to convince the public that life is returning to normal, and getting Americans back onto airplanes is part of the effort.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said the number of commercial flights each day had returned to near normal, now at about 5,500, compared with the maximum before the attacks of 6,500.

However, relatively few people are on those flights. Delta Air Lines, for example, says its planes typically are only 35 percent filled.

[sinkspur]

Even if he personally likes it, he should realize that singing it, in a supposedly national service, is an affront to the South.

LOL!!!!

The South? You mean we still aren't one country?

I think you're wearing your hat too tight.

[Aurelius]

"I think you're wearing your hat too tight"

At least it kept my brains in. Too bad you didn't do the same before it was too late.

[dixierat22]

We're starting to see the statist Bush come out. He's proving that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. New beauracracies, federalize everyone (that's why he allows the BHOTR to be sung, he wants that centralised power like Lincoln had. Makes it easier to impose tyranny), and then a PRESIDENTIAL (as opposed to Congressional) declaration of War.

Next, he'll be wanting to federalize all cops. Then we're in real trouble.

[hopespringseternal]

If they dropped all security altogether, you would still be safer flying than driving. There are a heck of a lot more bad drivers than terrorists.

My objection to flying has nothing to do with safety or security. It has to do with meaningless and ineffective "security" measures that annoy honest people and do zero, zip, nada to stop terrorists.

Not a single measure enacted against travelers will do anything to stop terrorism.

And frankly, I am sick of being treated like a criminal every time I shell out several hundred dollars for a plane ticket. So much so that I won't buy another one until the situation changes (never).

In fact, my willingness to drive says one thing: I desire freedom above illusory safety and comfort.

[sinkspur]

At least it kept my brains in.

Yea. It kept in your brains, with all their silly prejudices.

So now we've got to worry about offending "the South?"

[Boss_Jim_Gettys]

"Bush is apparently opposed to the idea of arming airline pilots. What's the deal here?"

Well, the "deal" here may be more about commom sense than Bush having some demonic plan for worldwide gun control or having contempt for the pilots or some such nonsense.

I believe the President is in favor of having armed air marshalls on every flight (they would be undercover in the passenger compartment) and having pilots behind locked, impenetrable doors. In the event of an emergency, the armed air marshall would handle security and the pilots (behind locked doors) would fly the plane to the nearest available airport.

I don't think there is any harm in having the pilots armed. However if they open the door, guns drawn, during an emergency they stand the risk of being overwhelmed. The hijackers could then gain control of the airplane and fly it into the Sears Tower.

[Aurelius]

"So now we've got to worry about offending 'the South'?

It is always wise to avoid giving gratuitous offense. True, I don't always make that my policy, but I'm not a poliitician.

[TERMINATTOR]

>> -Putting the federal government in charge of airport security and screening, including the purchase and maintenance of all equipment. The government would supervise passenger and baggage security and perform background checks on security personnel. Uniformed federal workers would manage all operations; federal and nonfederal workers would share the security work.

If he's talking about having the feds make sure everyones gun is loaded, knives are sharp, etc., I'm all for it. They could open up a self defense/shooting range at the airport, and provide instructors too.

"A well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed." - Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Thank you for flying Liberty Airlines
Have a safe flight.

To arms, to arms, the terrorists are coming!

America's Militia wants YOU!

We must be ever vigilant in protecting our inalienable rights as enumerated in the Constitution and BOR.

Congress has provided (Article I - Section. 8, U.S. Constitution) the Militia with the means to arm themselves: CMP (Civilian Markmenship Program).
Bible quotes in favor of annihilating jihadists
Poll: bin Laden's skull can be best used as an ....

Molon Labe !

[Chemist_Geek]

For years many European airports have had machine-gun armed soldiers wandering the concourses. On a short layover in Brussels about ten years ago I was amazed to see this sight. I think it's an idea whose time came years ago but was ignored by the FAA, airlines, and various administrations.

And this would stop future hijackings exactly how? I think that a uniformed, somewhat intimidating law enforcement presence is reassuring to the nervous Nellies, but let's not confuse true improvements in security with knee-jerk feel-good wastes of time and money. Furthermore, it's highly doubtful that anyone will ever try that attack technique again.

My suggestions for improving flight security include arming pilots and flight crew, or flying an armed, sworn law enforcement officer. Pilots already have absolute authority over the airplane and its passengers; there is a reason their title is "Captain", and there is no reason corporate policies should forbid them enforcing their authority. Allowing civilians who have a CCW permit to carry aboard would be good too, but that would require federally mandated reciprocity of permits. Deportation of all known illegal aliens and close government supervision of legal resident and non-resident aliens should be done immediately. Careful screening of all carry-on and checked luggage and cargo for biological chemical and radiological warfare agents or explosives should be undertaken immediately.

Silliness like gassing the passengers, banning carry-on luggage, welding cockpit doors shut, and banning private pilots from flying only serve as psychological fixes, with the sole positive effect of showing the government is "doing something."

[Chemist_Geek]

Whoops, forgot one point. Over the years, flight crews started out with four or five men (pilot, co-pilot, engineer, navigator, sometimes a radio operator) in the cockpit. In addition to that, you had stewards and sewardesses whose job was understood to be passenger safety, with service a distinctly second priority. Over time, the size of the flight crew has dwindled to two people and the orientation of the cabin crew is ostensibly passenger service.

Let's go back to large flight crews. This lets the pilot send, say, the engineer back into the cabin to handle trouble. Let's recruit cabin stewards from the Marine corps or similar friendly, service-oriented organizations.

[KirkandBurke]

I understand. When all of this is over, we're going to have to get out our checkbooks (taxes) to pay for the cleanup, security, relief money, etc.,and plan on tightening our belts for the increased costs of a number of products and services. Now, I'm certainly not trying to minimize the personal tragedy or equate human life to money, but with these costs piled on top of the current economic downturn, we're in for long painful economic recovery to go along with the recovery from this attack. Not to mention the market uncertainty that accompanies our "war on terrorism."

[KirkandBurke]

You may be right. Figure about $50,000 per skymarshall (salary plus associated costs) and we're already up to a $5 billion budget just for the personnel, let alone the bureacracy that goes with it or training or offices or..... I think it will be very expensive.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

FOXNEWS just reported that Governor Davis of California is calling up the National Guard here !

[TheRealLobo]

Yep, we're f***ed pretty good. If it takes skymarshalls, I'm mostly for it, at least until the bad guys get the idea that we're tired of being targets. The cost of skymarshalls would be less than the cost of this happening again. I'm not so sure about the cost in liberty tho'.

[CJ Wolf]

I remember when... an english speaking middle eastern looking metal detector guard in miami airport stopped me to look at my Video camera. He asked me to turn it on. I did. Then he volenteered his life story. "I got hired cause I used to make these into bombs. I know what to look for..." I said "really, that's comforting" (I don't think he could sense my sarcasm. he replied, "yep, I got busted when I was 16, lucky for me I was underage and got off easy, now I get to protect you"

I wonder if he is still manning the gates and protecting us now.

[pray4liberty]

Think about it. Who would you rather have as the last line of defense against a hijacker who wants to turn an airplane into a flying bomb?

I'd sooner take my chances with an armed pilot than be shot out of the sky by a U.S. Air Force fighter jet. My chances of surviving with the armed pilot is probably at 99%, with the Air Force fighter jet, a definite 0%.

[americalost]

Can somebody explain this to me? I've been trying to figure it out all day. I don't mean constitutionally, I already looked that up. I mean, what's the deal? If the airports are so darned unsecure as to need various national guardsmen popping up all over the place, why are planes still flying? What's going on?

[pray4liberty]

The terrorist have WON! While proving the USA is a paper tiger, they closed down the air industry of the USA. I fear this is only the begining.

You definitely have a point. They not only killed our people, they hit us squarely in the wallet.

[pray4liberty]

However if they open the door, guns drawn, during an emergency they stand the risk of being overwhelmed. The hijackers could then gain control of the airplane and fly it into the Sears Tower.

This is a legitimate concern, but I can tell you that if pilots were armed, terrorists would have to kick in the door first and they will turn and shoot the first person who comes in. The pilots are not going to open the door of their own free will, not after this.