Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-Venice), chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment, Friday reviewed TSA and CBP passenger security screening procedures during a special tour at Los Angeles International Airport. She went through the system as if she was a passenger listed on a federal watch-list as a "Secondary Security Screening Selectee."
Said Harman, "Both the Times Square and Christmas Day bombers were allowed to board flights, exposing flaws in the passenger vetting system that TSA and CBP have worked diligently to fix. Every time I pass through airport screening, I thank the dedicated TSA and CBP officers for their service to this country. This time, those words had even more meaning."
Harman's tour included a briefing from TSA and CBP officials on the layers of security in place at LAX: a robust presence of behavior detection officers, explosive-detecting canines, enhanced screening measures at a variety of checkpoints (including the use of Advanced Imaging Technology and trace detection of carry-on baggage and hands), physical pat-downs, and further vetting by CBP before a passenger boards his or her flight.
TSA and CBP officials described the current passenger-name vetting procedures, such as the new rule requiring airlines to check the "No-Fly" list every two hours as well as TSA's "Secure Flight" program being implemented over the course of this year. CBP explained how its officers use a redundant system to ensure that individuals are vetted before a plane departs. It was an alert CBP officer who determined Faisal Shahzad -- the alleged Times Square bomber -- had boarded a plane preparing to depart New York for Dubai, and CBP boarded the plane to take him and two others off after the gate was closed.
This tour follows a classified briefing Harman received last week in Washington on the TSA "Secure Flight" program. Airlines are currently responsible for checking passenger data against federal No-Fly lists. TSA will assume that responsibility from airlines over the next few months as it implements the "Secure Flight" program.
Under "Secure Flight," a passenger making reservations is required to provide his or her full name, date of birth and gender. TSA will check this information against government watch lists to identify known and suspected terrorists; prevent individuals on the No-Fly List from boarding aircraft; and identify individuals for enhanced secondary screening. After matching passenger information against government watch lists, "Secure Flight" will instantaneously transmit the results to airlines to prevent those on the No-Fly list from being issued boarding passes.
Harman said, "This is a far more holistic use of human and technical means to identify and block those who would harm us from access to airplanes. Now the challenge is to implement it for all carriers, to, from and within the U.S."