Bush orders Federal security for planes

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, SEPT. 28. With a view to instilling passenger confidence as also assist an embattled industry, the U.S. President, Mr. George W. Bush, has ordered the Federal Government to take charge of the nation's airline security.

Mr. Bush has also given two senior United States Air Force officers the right to order the shooting down of civilian airliners that threaten American cities, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

Units of the National Guard will patrol the airports and be involved in screening; armed undercover Federal marshals will be deployed in commercial airplanes; and tighter security measures are being put in place at all airports. In spite of all these, the nation's most prestigious Reagan National Airport here remains closed.

Mr. Bush ventured outside of the nation's capital for the second time since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 on New York and Washington. ``... .We're returning airlines back to the American people'', the President told thousands of airlines workers at the O'Hare airport in Chicago. The message was more than just to the American people; it was also to the workers more than 100,000 of whom are on the verge of losing their jobs in the wake of troubles in the industry.

As a part of expressing faith in the nation's airports and airlines, several of Mr. Bush's Cabinet Ministers have been taking commercial flights in the last two days. In encouraging American people to take to the skies and enjoy their vacations with their families, Mr. Bush outlined proposals for enhanced security that gave a glimpse of the real problem.

The President called on Governors to release National Guardsmen to man over 400 airports in the country until such time as a permanent Federal Force could be in place. The cost of training for the National Guards, estimated at $ 150 millions, will be met by the Federal Government.

Down the line, a Federal Force will be replacing the 30,000-odd civilians currently doing the job of screening passengers, inspecting baggage, performing safety inspections on planes and maintaining security related equipment. There has been considerable concern and anxiety in the aftermath of the terrorist hijackings on Sept. 11 that resulted in the death of nearly 7,000 people. The Federal Force and the funding for it would have to be approved by Congress through legislation. As it is, the airline industry was spending an estimated $ 1 billion on security and this is expected to go up sharply in view of the enhanced requirements being put in place. The administration will have to tell law makers how the tab is going to be split between the tax payers and the industry.

Some of the measures that the President has been talking about has been discussed in the last several days. For example, moves are afoot to fortify the now flimsy cockpit doors. But Mr. Bush is also thinking of other hi-tech measures to tighten security. One is the installation of video cameras that would alert the captain on what is happening in the cabin. The other is in making sure that transponders can never be turned off.

Within the administration and on Capitol Hill there is the debate going on over the future of the Reagan National Airport. Virginia law makers are looking at ways to open the airport said to bring in a revenue of $ 5 billions annually. More than 10,000 jobs are at stake directly and indirectly.

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Section  : International
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