NYT: Security Report on U.S. Aviation Warns of Holes

[DeepModem Mom]

Security Report on U.S. Aviation Warns of Holes
By ERIC LICHTBLAU
Published: March 14, 2005


WASHINGTON, March 13 - Despite a huge investment in security, the American aviation system remains vulnerable to attack by Al Qaeda and other jihadist terrorist groups, with noncommercial planes and helicopters offering terrorists particularly tempting targets, a confidential government report concludes.

Intelligence indicates that Al Qaeda may have discussed plans to hijack chartered planes, helicopters and other general aviation aircraft for attacks because they are less well-guarded than commercial airliners, according to a previously undisclosed 24-page special assessment on aviation security by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security two weeks ago.

But commercial airliners are also "likely to remain a target and a platform for terrorists," the report says, and members of Al Qaeda appear determined to study and test new American security measures to "uncover weaknesses."...

***

...some members of Congress and security experts now consider airplanes to be so well fortified that they say it is time to shift resources to other vulnerable sectors, like ports and power plants.

In the area of rail safety, for instance, Democrats are pushing a $1.1 billion plan to plug what they see as glaring vulnerabilities. "This is a disaster waiting to happen," Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., Democrat of Delaware, said last week at a Senate hearing marking the one-year anniversary of the deadly train bombings in Madrid....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/14/politics/14terror.html?hp&ex=1110776400&en=e3099350bcfe7bb2&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[Bush_Blows]

1. All that 9/11 security money WASTED. nt

[CoffeeCat]

2. As I gaze into my crystal ball, and one year from now, I see..

Condorleeza Rice saying, during Senate testimony--

"Sir, I assure you. Had we known that terrorists were planning to fly helicopters and noncommercial planes into targets--we would have moved heaven and earth to stop it. Yes. I did read the FBI's 24-page special assessment on aviation security. However, that document was a historical document. There was no mention of specific dates, targets, or what brand of helicopter they would be using. Ok, next question."

[Moderator]

3. kick to combine

[emad]

4. Aviation System Said Vulnerable to Attacks

Monday March 14, 2005 3:46 PM


By LARA JAKES JORDAN

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's aviation system remains vulnerable to attacks by al-Qaida and other terrorists who may be targeting noncommercial aircraft and helicopters, according to a government report.

But officials said the report by the Homeland Security Department and the FBI concludes that commercial airlines also remain susceptible to attack, despite billions of dollars worth of security investments. Moreover, members of al-Qaida are believed to be examining and testing U.S. security systems for weaknesses, officials said.

The confidential report, dated Feb. 25, reflects what officials have long said: that beefing up security in one sector would inevitably prompt terrorists to target other areas that might not be under the same level of scrutiny.

However, the report, drafts of which have been circulating since late last year, is the first to pull the intelligence together in a single package, officials said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4864202,00.html