Security Briefs - Oct. 23 - Oct. 30
The Latest Headlines:
- Report: U.S. Still 'Unprepared' for Terrorism
- BWI Security Chief Named to TSA Post
- FBI Issues Warning About Trains
- TSA Spending Habits Questioned
- BWI Security Chief Named to TSA Post
Report: U.S. Still 'Unprepared' for Terrorism
A report by the Council on Foreign Relations called the United States "dangerously unprepared" to prevent or respond to a terrorist attack.Since Sept. 11, 2001, a greater focus has been put on keeping the nation safe, particularly its transportation networks.
The report, issued by the council's task force on homeland security, said that while it didn’t want to criticize the Bush administration or the Congress, but the country needs to do more to narrow the gap between its intelligence estimates and its ability to respond to an attack.
The task force is made up of "two former secretaries of state, three Nobel laureates, two former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a former director of the CIA and FBI, and some of the nation's most distinguished financial, legal, and medical experts," the council said in a release. Transport Topics
BWI Security Chief Named to TSA Post
Transportation Security Administration chief James M. Loy announced the appointment Monday of Arnold Cole to the position of deputy director of law enforcement at the agency.Cole, according to a Department of Transportation press release, was previously the federal security director at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
In his new position, Cole will have responsibility for hiring, training and deploying federal law enforcement officers to the nation's airports.
Replacing Cole at Baltimore-Washington will be Joseph P. Malandrino, Jr., who since 1996 has been manager of the operations department at Washington Dulles International Airport, with responsibility for airport security. Transport Topics
FBI Issues Warning About Trains
The FBI issued a warning last week about the potential for terrorist attacks on U.S. trains, USA Today reported.The warning said that the bureau has received credible intelligence that al Qaeda may use operatives who appear Western to sabotage or attack trains. The paper said that U.S. investigators found maps and photographs of U.S. rail lines, crossing and trains in Afghanistan.
Amtrak, the nation's passenger rail line, also carries time-sensitive freight like produce and mail.
The alert also said terrorists may target freight rail cars hauling hazardous materials. Transport Topics
TSA Spending Habits Questioned
The Transportation Security Administration has been taken to task by critics for its spending habits, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.The agency, charged with securing the nation's transportation networks, particularly its airports, has several times asked Congress and the Bush administration for more funding, but the Journal reported several expenditures that have raised eyebrows.
Among the questionable budget items was a $400,000 remodeling effort on former TSA chief John Magaw’s office and a seven-week recruiting stay at Wyndham Peaks Resort and Golden Door Spa near Telluride, Colo., at a cost of $147 a night, not including extra security.
Rep. Harold Rogers (R -Ky.), chairman of the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, has complained vehemently about a "a cornucopia of wasteful spending" by the agency, the paper said. Transport Topics
