9/11 Plus 17 years: Airline Passenger Group Warns Trump Administration re Its Aviation Security Policies
WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- FlyersRights.org, the largest US airline passenger organization, has warned the Trump Administration that more 9/11 type terrorist attacks may occur unless it changes a series of ineffective or dangerous aviation security policies it is pursuing.
Paul Hudson, President and former longtime member of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, noted,
"We are alarmed that the Trump Administration is hiding and failing to correct past inadequacies and compounding them by pursuing newly misguided policies including-
1. Ignoring and hiding a rulemaking petition filed by FlyersRights.org in
2017 to fix the ammunition loophole that allows and even encourages
carrying of guns and ammunition with no added security in checked
baggage. In January 2017, a mentally deranged combat veteran, inspired by
ISIS, killed 5 and injured 5 with an automatic pistol and ammunition
taken from his checked baggage at the Fort Lauderdale airport. Instead of
banning ammo and guns carried together in checked baggage, or requiring
additional security, the TSA reaffirmed its policy allowing guns and ammo
in checked baggage. The TSA also refused to publicly file the petition
for public comment as required by law, while advertising to the public
ways to legally carry more guns and ammunition on airliners, thereby
enabling more mass airport shootings.
2. FY 2018 budget proposal eliminating budgets for airport security patrols
and turning over all airport security other than passenger and baggage
screening to local law enforcement (some Florida legislators have
responded by calling for airports to become easy conceal carry zones);
3. Refusing any airport perimeter security so that the US is vulnerable to
Brussels, Istanbul airport, and Manchester style terrorism (such attacks
killed about 320 and paralyzed travel for days);
4. Highly invasive pat downs, especially on children, disabled, elderly,
transgender and sexual assault victims, thereby undermining public
confidence and instilling fear and loathing by many passengers for the
TSA, and used by no other country. For background, see
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tsa-reaches-out-mother-boy-viral-pat
-down-video-n740796.
5. Continued refusal of high level TSA and DHS officials to meet with
passenger groups and the exclusion of US based airline passenger
organizations from its Aviation Security Advisory Committee.
6. Ignoring Congressional subpoenas and requests on dubious grounds
apparently to cover up mismanagement.
7. No effective registration, security or defense against armed drones, now
being used by terrorist organizations in the Middle East, from attacking
U.S. targets.
8. TSA Ignoring requests for retrieval of confiscated property return, fair
and transparent methods for damage or theft claims of passenger property
or challenges to inclusion on watch or no fly lists.
The U.S., despite many TSA problems, has been fortunate to have avoided massive new aviation terrorism attacks since 9/11/2001. But unless effective security policies are updated and bad ones discontinued, we fear that such relative good fortune will not continue despite good faith efforts by most TSA employees."
Previously, FlyersRights.org successfully supported in court cases the continued banning of knives in airliner cabins and the application of the Whistle Blower Protection statute to the Dept. of Homeland Security.
The FlyersRights.org ammunition rulemaking petition can be viewed at https://aviation.travel/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Ammunition-Rulemaking-Petition-Combined2.pdf
View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/911-plus-17-years-airline-passenger-group-warns-trump-administration-re-its-aviation-security-policies-300710493.html
SOURCE FlyersRights.org
