U.S. to take more measures amid terror threat

U.S. to take more measures amid terror threat

United States authorities are stepping up security measures to ensure safe travel following the discovery of at least two explosive devices aboard U.S.-bound cargo planes.

U.S. security officials are treating the incident as a continuing threat and are not ruling out future attacks on travellers even if the packages were carried on cargo planes and were meant to be delivered to Jewish synagogues.

The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that it has “taken a number of steps to enhance security” and will perform “heightened cargo screening and additional security at airports” through the use of visible and discreet detection measures and K9 units.

Delta Airlines announced that that it has put in place additional security measures on its own. Both Delta and United Continental Holdings said that their flights to the Middle East would proceed as scheduled this weekend.

The growing concern is that passenger planes, which also hold cargo, are exposed to the same risk that they may carry explosive packages.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration says that 50,000 tons of cargo enters the United States each day, with about 25 percent of that number carried by passenger jets.

U.S. authorities have implemented stricter rules since August for inspecting cargo using X-rays and other more sophisticated machines. But foreign cargo is not yet covered by the expanded regulations.

The terror threat this week coincides with the implementation of another federal program on Monday which requires airports and airlines to check the name of passengers against a list of known and suspected terrorists.

Posted by Sophia Andrews on Sunday October 31 2010, 5:23 AM EST. Ref: ABC News. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Travel. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0