Posted on 02/08/2002 6:28:47 PM PST by codebreaker
Ananova:
What The Papers Say-
The London Daily Mirror
'BOMBING KIT' SMUGGLED ON JET
Guns and a fake bomb-making kit were smuggled on to a British Airways Jet yesterday.
Story Filed 00:58 Saturday, February 9, 2002
It says the bomb kit was fake, but it doesn't say that about the guns. Does that mean the guns were real?
If so, then this was almost DEFINITELY a terrorist act, and the fake bomb kit was to scare the passengers into not trying to fight back.
I can't, I'm not logged on.
A guard has been suspended after fake explosives, detonators and genuine firearms passed a security check for a commercial flight at Manchester Airport. The arms were taken on to a British Airways flight to Gatwick on Friday by a company testing security procedures.
The airport has a good reputation for security but has been in a bitter battle with unions over the cutting of 140 security staff.
It is immaterial whether it was a training exercise or not - safety procedures were breached
Permission had been given by British Airways with the items declared at check-in as part of the security test.
Securicor ADI is responsible for scanning luggage passing through the airport.
It has suspended a member of staff and started an investigation.
A spokesman for Securicor ADI told the Mirror: "At Manchester Airport today training equipment designed to test security procedures was allowed to pass through a hold baggage screening area by a fully trained, experienced, and CTC-cleared security agent.
"The equipment was in the baggage belonging to an aviation security trainer, en route to a Middle East assignment."
He confirmed permission was given by BA and a security guard suspended.
The bag contained bomb-making equipment, guns, imitation explosives, three detonators and a rifle magazine holding five dummy bullets.
The offending articles were hidden in a book, camera and cigarette box and checked in at Terminal Three by British Airway staff.
Having passed through security screenings, the cache was placed in the hold of the Boeing 737 flight BA2903.
A BA spokeswoman told BBC News Online that the cargo was not "smuggled" because BA was fully aware of the items in the bag.
"Obviously safety and security is always top priority at British Airways.
"The issue is the test of security at Manchester Airport - they are responsible for security procedures."
The company who carried out the test, Global Air Training, was unable to comment.
A Manchester Airport spokesman said it was down to human error.
She told BBC News Online: "These items being carried by a training company were not detected by an external security company, Securicor ADI, employed to operate hold baggage screening.
"We understand that the employee involved has been suspended pending an investigation.
"This was not a problem with the X-ray equipment but was an operator error.
"This is a matter of great concern to us and we will be holding urgent talks with ADI."
Jane's Transport aviation security editor Chris Yates said the test result was surprising bearing in mind Manchester's reputation as one of the best UK airports for security.
But he told BBC News 24 that it was less surprising bearing in mind the sophisticated way the weapons were smuggled on board.
"Security equipment at any airport can be overcome by the way that items are concealed in baggage."
He added that plastic explosive or mock-ups could not normally be detected by standard X-ray devices used on UK domestic flights.
TGWU secretary general Bill Morris said he had written to the transport secretary about the dangers of bringing in more casual staff. "[I have warned] reductions in staffing and seeking to replace experienced and trained staff would bring about the incidents repeated twice this week. Regrettably it is a case of 'we told you so'. We should be increasing security not cutting it. It is immaterial whether it was a training exercise or not - safety procedures were breached."
Did not one of the cell phone calls from UA 93 claim that the hijackers had taken over the plane with a bomb?
Seems to me this is one way the hijackers could've assured compliance from the passengers. Boxcutters alone don't seem like quite enough...
http://www.as-e.com/video/trans/cnbc.html
(here's the most relevant part of the transcript (cnbc)).
MIKE HEGEDUS reporting: Right.
Dick Sesnewicz's suitcase is special. It may not look it on the outside, and
it may not look it when it passes through the standard airport-type transmission
X-ray machine. But believe me, it's special.
Mr. SESNEWICZ: This case, it has a real gun, a Glock 17, 9mm weapon. It also
has three pipe bombs that are simulated, and it also has a small quantity of
Semtex.
HEGEDUS: You always--you don't always travel with that stuff, do you, Dick?
Mr. SESNEWICZ: I do, and I've never been stopped yet.
True, it was written by someone with a sales agenda, but it still rings true.
What are you doing in Quebec?
Of course, we would not, there will be nothing left to burn.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.