Increased airport security in Yemen helps US foil Al-Qaeda attacks

Source: Supply Chain Digital, By b.booen
04/12/2010

The governmental body TSA announced increased security in Yemen airports to prevent Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks.

The US Government is committed to improving airport security at home and abroad.
The Transportation Security Administration announced today that a new security program will be established in Yemen, where an Al-Qaeda affiliate is believed to be based. The affiliate, which goes by the name, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has claimed responsibility for a cargo bomb plot in October, which deployed printer cartridges rigged as bombs.

The TSA has upped its security protocols with full-body scanners and enhanced pat down at domestic airports and recently announced that printer cartridges will no longer be allowed in bags—a proactive response to the security threat claimed by the ADAP, which shipped the explosive cartridges out of Sanaa, according to reports. Investigators believed that they were supposed to detonate somewhere over the US.

The US government isn’t taking any more chances with international terrorism along airports and will instill security protocols in Yemen that are similar to those in the US.

"We have a program that will be starting up in the very near future, an 18-month program with Yemen," Vicki Reeder of the US TSA told a Senate hearing on international airline safety. "We have been working extensively with Yemen," she added.

Security officials said that full-body scanners (the ones that have caused such a stir in the US) would have prevented the “underpants bomber” from ever boarding a US-bound plane in Amsterdam last Christmas. A Nigerian man attempted to detonate explosive on board of an aircraft, but was detained by passengers.


The US government is also extremely concerned about air cargo. Currently all domestic air cargo is screened before transport, but the same cannot be said for international cargo. David Heyman of the Department of Homeland Security anticipated that the US would have measures in place to screen 100 percent of international cargo by 2013.

US lawmakers also said that nothing will be done to change the intensified security measure that have been wildly scrutinized by the public.

"There really isn't any choice. Others have learned how to live with this, and I think we can too," said Senator Jay Rockefeller, chair of the Commerce Committee.