Napolitano: Aviation Threat Constantly Evolving – CQ Homeland Security
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano characterized aviation as a sector vulnerable to attack and outlined the U.S. strategy for solving that problem during a pair of speeches Thursday.
“If you’ve flown lately, you may have noticed a heightened law enforcement presence, and some new screening procedures around the country,” Napolitano said during an address at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. “That will continue . . . and will continue to evolve to stay ahead of new threats.”
Napolitano identified one particularly difficult issue that the Obama administration is facing: the fact that its forces cannot screen travelers in foreign airports, even if they are coming to the United States. The solution, she said, lies in international cooperation. Since the beginning of the year, the secretary has been traveling to other nations, encouraging them to enter security agreements with the United States and adopt its passenger screening standards.
