Posted on 09/02/2003 12:57:59 PM PDT by Gabrielle Reilly
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration is shuffling its homeland security operation to make 5,000 more armed agents available to protect commercial flights.
The reorganization will combine the air marshal's program with the customs and immigration security programs so agents in both can be cross-trained and used for aviation security, officials said. This will allow the government to put extra agents on airliners when officials believe they are being targeted by terrorists.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge described the changes as a way to better mobilize the resources of his department.
"This realignment offers a sweeping gain of additional armed law enforcement officials who will be able to provide a 'surge capacity' during increased threat periods or in the event of a terrorist attack," Ridge said in remarks prepared for a speech Tuesday to the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.
(AP) Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge discusses air safety during an address at the American... Full Image
"Importantly, with this single move we will be able to deploy more than 5,000 additional armed federal law enforcement agents to the skies," he said.
The immigration and customs agents and the air marshals will be cross-trained so they all can be deployed to disrupt attacks on airliners, the Homeland Security Department said in a statement.
As part of the changes, the air marshal's program will be moved from the Transportation Security Administration to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Earlier this year, the administration came under criticism from lawmakers when it was learned the Transportation Security Administration wanted to cut 20 percent of its funding for the air marshal's program to plug other budget holes.
Lawmakers vowed to block any such funding cuts.
(AP) Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge speaks at the National Governors Association annual meeting... Full Image
The air marshal program was nearly nonexistent at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks. Only 32 agents were employed then, but the number was dramatically increased afterward. The exact number is classified.
In the 1970s, when teams of "sky marshals" were created to thwart hijackings, they were part of the U.S. Customs Service. The TSA was created following the Sept. 11 attacks and took over the air marshal program, along with airport screening and other transportation security operations.
The reorganization also will:
_Consolidate three border inspections into one where a single "primary inspector" will handle immigration, customs and agricultural checks. If a question arises about a traveler, a "secondary inspection" will be conducted by another agent. The consolidation will allow more agents to be deployed for the more precise secondary inspections "targeting our resources toward those passengers with suspicious indictors," the department said.
_Establish a network of secure communications between the department and the states, video-conferencing and telephone lines to be used for sharing information about terrorist threats.
_Make it easier for states to obtain anti-terrorist and security grants. The department will ask Congress to centralize the grant application process, which now is spread across numerous agencies, under one agency.
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DUH! That's government for you.
By cowing to the anti-gun crowd they are setting themselves up to be brutalized in the event of another domestic hijacking by terrorists. The Marxists will hammer the Bush admin for "not doing enough to protect US citizens" -- and the accusers will be absolutely right! There is NO cry among the populace against arming the pilots. In fact the issue is being largely ignored by the media. What's that old saying: "If your opponent is committing suicide, sit back and watch." (or something like that).
The Bush admin is setting themselves up for potential disaster. For what? To please the anti-gun Left? I just don't get it.
Just the FACT that it is being done is a discouragement to terrorists and hijackers of any bent.
Maybe by adding these Air Marshall's, we can quit confiscating fingernail clippers, and doing body searches of 80-year old women.
Hah, dream on.
Better to have pilots armed in the cockpit to defend it against intrusion. They can have video surveillance of the cabin to see what they're up against. Then the armed pilots keep the barbarians out of the flight deck while they get the plane on the ground fast. That takes out the threat of using the aircraft as a missile. And once on the ground it gives the passengers a chance to escape and the pilots/passengers a chance to fight the barbarians without worrying about crashing.
That's the simplest solution. No need to waste a half-billion dollars or so of the public's money trying to lull them into thinking that someone is "doing something".
Pretty silly.
There is more than one person in the cockpit, and they ALL should be armed. Then all planes would be safer, not just the few with Marshalls.
And, with no new increase in federal payroll.
The pilots that want ARMS should have them, after qualifying and taking intensive safety training with them. Should the Air marshall fail to be there or halt any attack, then the pilot might have the ability to stop the terrorist, or might provoke the terrorist to go ahead and blow them all up. I would want the weapon, myself. I also don't want pilots handling guns that are unskilled in gun use/care, and safety. Or ones that are afraid to use them.
I think the answer is somewhere in the middle of our viewpoints, don't you?
Have you ever thought of the 'have a cake/bake a cake' theory of managing problems?
That would make sense. Can't have that.
Let CCW permit holders go armed, too, while we're at it.
(Conversations at the airport: "Uh, don't take flight 2134, the pilot doesn't CCW".
Yeah, the airlines want that for a solution!)
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