It seems that the Department of Homeland Security and the Obama administration has abandoned the silly and counterproductive non-profiling mantra that has been hindering airline security since 9/11. The government is instituting heightened screening for a group of 14 nations.
It’s rocket science! Every recent terrorism attack seems to have come from individuals who have come from one of the these countries or who has been to one of these countries.
Passengers traveling from or through nations listed as “state sponsors of terrorism” — Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria — as well as Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen will face heightened screening, an Obama administration official said.
Other passengers flying to the United States will be randomly searched while citizens and those passing through these 14 predominately Muslim countries will face pat-downs and luggage searches.
Finally a more-reasoned response to the problem of terrorism. Let’s not treat the white-haired grandmother flying from Sweden with the same suspicion as the 23-year-old Muslim man returning from Yemen to the United States.
Sorry, Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, but get your own security act together and find a way to control these heartless zealots and maybe, the restrictions will be removed.
At least this is a beginning. Rather than patting down every piece of hay in the haystack, security personnel can focus on those whose profile shows they may be intent on doing our nation harm.
Airlines can go back to functioning, security lines can be reduced and the effort at uncovering terrorists will be improved.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
