Security Briefs - June 19 - June 25
The Latest Headlines:
- House Approves $29.4 Billion for Homeland Security Department
- Ohio Trucker Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charges
- U.S. Warns Texas of Possible Terrorism
- TSA Asked to Inspect All Air Cargo
- States Discuss Security of Nuclear Waste Shipments
- Calif. Police Say Anonymous Tip Was Hoax
- Air Marshals Want to Leave TSA
- Ohio Trucker Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charges
House Approves $29.4 Billion for Homeland Security Department
The House approved legislation late Tuesday providing $29.4 billion for the Homeland Security Department in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, news services reported.In addition $29.4 billion would be provided for local emergency workers, airport screeners and a new drive against bioterrorism, the Associated Press reported. However, Democrats said the Republican-written measure would fall short of meeting the nation's needs for protecting ports, borders and airports, the Washington Post said.
But Republicans fired back saying the bill would continue the upgrades in domestic safety that began after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The Senate has yet to produce its version of the legislation. Transport Topics
Ohio Trucker Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charges
An Ohio truck driver with ties to al-Qaida pleaded guilty to two felony charges, the Associated Press reported Thursday.Iyman Faris, 34, was allegedly involved in plots to derail trains and sabotage the Brooklyn Bridge, according to unsealed documents.
Under an agreement with the Justice Department, Faris pleaded to providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to provide support. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and fines of up to $500,000.
The agreement was filed with the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., on May 1, but was kept secret for over a month, AP said. Transport Topics
U.S. Warns Texas of Possible Terrorism
Homeland security officials have informed Texas law enforcement agencies of intelligence reportedly gathered from suspected al-Qaida operatives discussing potential terrorism in the state next month, the Associated Press reported.FBI spokesman Bob Doguim said the information received was very vague and the agency informed law enforcement agencies of the knowledge it had.
He said it is not surprising that reports of possible terrorism increase around significant dates, such as the Fourth of July.
Texas is a major player in the oil and gas industry, making it a potentially attractive target to terrorists, AP noted. Transport Topics
TSA Asked to Inspect All Air Cargo
Members of Congress, airport officials and advocacy groups have pressed the Transportation Security Administration to move more quickly to inspect air cargo and begin screening all checked luggage for explosives, the Washington Post reported Sunday.These groups said budget cutbacks and increased travel during the summer have combined to make airports more vulnerable to terrorism.
To many critics, the most glaring hole in aviation security is the lack of screening for explosives, the Post said. Airliners carry not only passenger luggage in the belly of the plane but also cargo, which is not screened.
However, the TSA said it has improved a plan to track air cargo by identifying the companies that ship it. The agency plans to spend $5 million on research this year to explore whether the technology used to screen luggage can also be used to check cargo, according to the Post. Transport Topics
States Discuss Security of Nuclear Waste Shipments
Officials from seven midwestern states met last week to discuss the security of nuclear waste shipments, the Associated Press reported.The Council of State Governments meets twice a year and includes law enforcement personnel, lawmakers, health officials and others who might deal with waste shipments.
A main issue discussed by the group was the establishment of fees by states on the shipment of waste across their borders, AP said.
The Nebraska Legislature passed a bill this spring placing a $2,000 fee per cask of radioactive waste that comes through the state.
Similar fees are in place in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota.
Some officals voiced concerns that waste will be shipped over routes that are not as secure to avoid paying the fees, the article said. Transport Topics
Calif. Police Say Anonymous Tip Was Hoax
An anonymous tip that a tractor-trailer loaded with explosives was headed toward a fuel depot near the airport in Burbank, Calif., was apparently a hoax, the Associated Press reported Monday.Authorities with bomb-sniffing dogs spent more than three hours on Monday locating the truck and interviewing the driver, shutting down a runway and passenger train service to the Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport, AP said.
Inside the truck was pyrotechnics, which are a legal form of fireworks used on movie sets. The driver was not charged with any crime.
Since Saturday, authorities had been on alert for the truck that the tipster said would arrive at the airport sometime Monday. Transport Topics
Air Marshals Want to Leave TSA
The Federal Air Marshal Service, the armed undercover agents assigned to commercial flights, wants to leave the Transportation Security Administration in favor of the new Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Washington Post reported Thursday.Because trucks transfer cargo that is carried in the bellies of passenger planes, any changes in airport security could affect how trucking conducts its daily business.
The article said the marshals believe they have more in common with the many law enforcement agents at BICE than with the TSA's army of security workers who monitor X-ray machines. But the TSA said the agency would suffer a "significant adverse effect" without the marshals. Transport Topics
