Security Debrief contributor Asa Hutchinson was quoted on an NBC story about aviation security in the aftermath of Umar Abdulmutallab’s failed attempt to detonate a bomb aboard the Detroit-bound Northwest Flight 253 on December 25. Here are some excerpts from the story recapped by First Coast News.
Airport Officials Tightening Security Without Seeming to Punish Public Flyers
Umar Abdulmutallab hid three ounces of a powerful explosive in his undergarment. It, along with a syringe, were charred when the material caught fire.
Today, airport lines are still long amid heightened security.
But the government has begun to ease some in-flight restrictions, allowing pilots to decide if passengers can hold blankets, read magazines or use the restroom in the last hour of flight.
“What we have to guard against is to punish two million travelers and the whole aviation industry whenever we should be focusing on proper intelligence,” says former Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson.
