Obama reveals new screening rules for US-bond passengers

Monday, 5th April 2010

The Obama administration has announced that it will no longer be using nationality alone as a reason to subject US-bond travellers to additional airport screening. Civil liberties groups and lawmakers have cautiously praised to move as a step in the right direction for international relations.

It was announced on Friday by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano that passengers will now be selected for additional screening based on their travel patterns and physical descriptions, only if they match intelligence reports.

The current US policy is to commit all travellers coming from 14 specified countries to extra checks, such as pat-downs and baggage searches. The new rules will come into effect next month.

The news comes shortly after a Christmas Day bombing onboard a transatlantic Detroit-bound jet was narrowly avoided. It is hoped that the new policy’s use of up-to-date, threat-based intelligence will prove a more effective anti-terrorist system.

The American Civil Liberties Union and American Muslim organisations have given their support to the new policies, as it was believed by many that the 14-country rule could lead to racial profiling and discrimination. It was also feared that such a system could result in huge delays over the busy summer holiday period.

It has not been revealed, however, how passenger information will be used and who will carry out the new screening procedures. Civil liberties groups are calling for an increase in transparency, so it is clear that a system that overtly discriminates is not replaced by a system that does the same thing covertly. It has also been pointed out by Republican Susan Collins that the new system will only be as effective as the intelligence it is based upon.

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↑ April 2010 news index

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