FAA details terror warnings given to airlines

CNN ^ | May 17, 2002 | Beth Lewandowski and Patty Davis

[the]

The agency released the data a day after National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice outlined a few of the security directives, which are traditionally considered "classified" by federal statute, in a White House press briefing.

A government official involved in transportation issues said Thursday that the FAA told airlines the situation in the Middle East was tense and terrorists might attack U.S. interests. The FAA mentioned Osama bin Laden or al Qaeda in alerts the agency sent to domestic airlines.

[the]

I searched and did not see this.

[Ciexyz]

Sounds like sufficient notification to me. The airlines didn't respond in an effective manner because they were too interested in cutting costs, hiring cheap (foreign) labor, and meeting arrival deadlines.

[catch]

At the time these warnings were issued, liberal Democrats in Washington were busily beating up on US airlines over travel delays and threatening them with a "passenger bill of rights." The whole emphasis at that time was on getting passengers through security and onto their planes as quickly as possible, so planes could depart and land on schedule and keep the libs off their backs.
All that changed after 9.11, of course. Anyone heard anything about a "passenger bill of rights" these last few months?

[Cacophonous]

What would the airlines have done? Their hands were tied as far being able to do anything -- no profiling allowed.