Cargo Terror Threat (merged)
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Freight Dog Terrorist Risk - CNN
Cargo planes draw more concern
Friday, November 7, 2003 Posted: 10:34 PM EST (0334 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. officials said Friday there is recent intelligence suggesting terrorists may want to use cargo aircraft to attack targets in the United States.
The officials noted that they have been worried about cargo planes since security around passenger flights was increased after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Separately, a senior U.S. official told CNN there has been "chatter" suggesting that al Qaeda terrorists might try to fly cargo planes from outside the United States into facilities inside the country such as nuclear power plants.
Officials said the information came from a single source and is uncorroborated, but the advisory was issued out of an abundance of caution.
Security concerns about cargo grew in September when a New York man shipped himself inside a crate to his parents' home near Dallas, Texas. Charles McKinley wasn't detected inside the crate until he arrived at his destination and kicked out the side of the container.
Labels on the crate indicated it contained computer equipment.
Last month, three industry groups recommended the Transportation Security Administration upgrade air cargo security since most cargo on planes is never screened.
The industry groups -- representing airline pilots, airlines, cargo companies and victims of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, among others -- make up the Aviation Security Advisory Committee.
They also recommended changes for cargo airlines. Chief among them: improving perimeter security at air cargo facilities, instituting random screening for anyone with access to ramps, securing unattended aircraft and controlling access to cargo sitting on the ramp.
For cargo on passenger planes, the groups urged beefing up the "known shipper" program by developing a federal database to check more thoroughly each shipper before its cargo is placed on a plane.
Currently, a shipper must be registered with the TSA. The airline or cargo company checks out the shipper to make sure it is legitimate. Airlines cannot carry cargo from a company or person they do not know or who is not a "known shipper."
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/11/07/cargo.security/
Friday, November 7, 2003 Posted: 10:34 PM EST (0334 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. officials said Friday there is recent intelligence suggesting terrorists may want to use cargo aircraft to attack targets in the United States.
The officials noted that they have been worried about cargo planes since security around passenger flights was increased after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Separately, a senior U.S. official told CNN there has been "chatter" suggesting that al Qaeda terrorists might try to fly cargo planes from outside the United States into facilities inside the country such as nuclear power plants.
Officials said the information came from a single source and is uncorroborated, but the advisory was issued out of an abundance of caution.
Security concerns about cargo grew in September when a New York man shipped himself inside a crate to his parents' home near Dallas, Texas. Charles McKinley wasn't detected inside the crate until he arrived at his destination and kicked out the side of the container.
Labels on the crate indicated it contained computer equipment.
Last month, three industry groups recommended the Transportation Security Administration upgrade air cargo security since most cargo on planes is never screened.
The industry groups -- representing airline pilots, airlines, cargo companies and victims of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, among others -- make up the Aviation Security Advisory Committee.
They also recommended changes for cargo airlines. Chief among them: improving perimeter security at air cargo facilities, instituting random screening for anyone with access to ramps, securing unattended aircraft and controlling access to cargo sitting on the ramp.
For cargo on passenger planes, the groups urged beefing up the "known shipper" program by developing a federal database to check more thoroughly each shipper before its cargo is placed on a plane.
Currently, a shipper must be registered with the TSA. The airline or cargo company checks out the shipper to make sure it is legitimate. Airlines cannot carry cargo from a company or person they do not know or who is not a "known shipper."
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/11/07/cargo.security/
Trash du Blanc
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Cargo Terror Threat
Terror Threat for Cargo Airlines
MSNBC
Nov. 7 — Al-Qaida terrorists could soon use cargo planes to attack targets in the United States, U.S. officials told NBC News on Friday, citing new intelligence indicating a threat similar to the one that preceded the Sept. 11, 2001, strikes in New York and Washington. At the same time, “credible” information that terrorists in Saudi Arabia were closer to carrying out attacks there led the U.S. Embassy to close all U.S. missions in the kingdom beginning Saturday. FEW DETAILS were immediately available about the new intelligence, which did not include specific times or locations, U.S. officials told NBC News’ Jim Miklaszewski on condition of anonymity, but they stressed that they were taking the threat seriously.
The officials said the most imminent threats were aimed at U.S. targets overseas, but they said they could not rule out the possibility of an attack on U.S. soil. They said the threat was strikingly similar to the plot in which 19 al-Qaida operatives hijacked four U.S. jetliners and flew three of them into the World Trade Center in New York and into the Pentagon a little more than two years ago.
Officials at the Homeland Security Department said they had no immediate plans to raise the national threat level, which is currently at “yellow,” or “elevated,” but the department planned to issue an advisory to local law enforcement agencies, state homeland security officers and private industry, including airlines.
U.S. officials told NBC News’ Carl Rochelle on condition of anonymity that al-Qaida was also believed to be behind the threat to U.S. installations in Saudi Arabia, as well as U.S. “commercial and maritime” installations in the region.
The U.S. Embassy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, said in a warden message on its Web site Friday that the missions in Riyadh, Jiddah and Dhahran would close to assess their “security posture.” They will then advise the U.S. community when the review is completed and when the missions plan to resume normal operations.
Americans in the kingdom should be “vigilant when in any area that is perceived to be American or Western,” the message said, warning: “The Embassy continues to receive credible information that terrorists in Saudi Arabia have moved from the planning to operational phase of planned attacks in the kingdom.”
Saudi police uncovered a cell Monday believed linked to al-Qaida in the holy city of Mecca. Police believe the cell had planned to carry out attacks during Ramadan.
MSNBC
Nov. 7 — Al-Qaida terrorists could soon use cargo planes to attack targets in the United States, U.S. officials told NBC News on Friday, citing new intelligence indicating a threat similar to the one that preceded the Sept. 11, 2001, strikes in New York and Washington. At the same time, “credible” information that terrorists in Saudi Arabia were closer to carrying out attacks there led the U.S. Embassy to close all U.S. missions in the kingdom beginning Saturday. FEW DETAILS were immediately available about the new intelligence, which did not include specific times or locations, U.S. officials told NBC News’ Jim Miklaszewski on condition of anonymity, but they stressed that they were taking the threat seriously.
The officials said the most imminent threats were aimed at U.S. targets overseas, but they said they could not rule out the possibility of an attack on U.S. soil. They said the threat was strikingly similar to the plot in which 19 al-Qaida operatives hijacked four U.S. jetliners and flew three of them into the World Trade Center in New York and into the Pentagon a little more than two years ago.
Officials at the Homeland Security Department said they had no immediate plans to raise the national threat level, which is currently at “yellow,” or “elevated,” but the department planned to issue an advisory to local law enforcement agencies, state homeland security officers and private industry, including airlines.
U.S. officials told NBC News’ Carl Rochelle on condition of anonymity that al-Qaida was also believed to be behind the threat to U.S. installations in Saudi Arabia, as well as U.S. “commercial and maritime” installations in the region.
The U.S. Embassy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, said in a warden message on its Web site Friday that the missions in Riyadh, Jiddah and Dhahran would close to assess their “security posture.” They will then advise the U.S. community when the review is completed and when the missions plan to resume normal operations.
Americans in the kingdom should be “vigilant when in any area that is perceived to be American or Western,” the message said, warning: “The Embassy continues to receive credible information that terrorists in Saudi Arabia have moved from the planning to operational phase of planned attacks in the kingdom.”
Saudi police uncovered a cell Monday believed linked to al-Qaida in the holy city of Mecca. Police believe the cell had planned to carry out attacks during Ramadan.
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That's what cargo pilots have been saying since 9/11.
We're finally being listened to. Perimeter security is a joke and needs to be improved. You still don't know who could be in those boxes in the back of the plane.
However, I do miss the days, when on landing at 6:00 a.m., the mechanic was waiting with his children so they could sit up front and play after we disembarked. Flying used to be a lot more fun.
MS
We're finally being listened to. Perimeter security is a joke and needs to be improved. You still don't know who could be in those boxes in the back of the plane.
However, I do miss the days, when on landing at 6:00 a.m., the mechanic was waiting with his children so they could sit up front and play after we disembarked. Flying used to be a lot more fun.
MS
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I can't help thinking at the LGG hub where by the looks of it 80 to 90% of the loaders are Arabs ....Hope T.N.T did a bit of home work and the Belgian Port Authority got those guys track record allright otherwise.......
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Currently, a shipper must be registered with the TSA. The airline or cargo company checks out the shipper to make sure it is legitimate. Airlines cannot carry cargo from a company or person they do not know or who is not a "known shipper."
WOW. really? then why our handling agents charging us $0.80 per kilo for "known shipper" and $1.50 per kilo for "unknown shipper"?
other bull***t: UPS (or say any other express) is defenately a "known shipper", but quite a reasonable portion of all UPS shipments comes from individuals who are "unknown" because they are never tracked.
WOW. really? then why our handling agents charging us $0.80 per kilo for "known shipper" and $1.50 per kilo for "unknown shipper"?
other bull***t: UPS (or say any other express) is defenately a "known shipper", but quite a reasonable portion of all UPS shipments comes from individuals who are "unknown" because they are never tracked.
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CARGO TERROR THREAT
Up goes the Loadies work load !. Heat dinners, make coffee, check every box on every pallet for strange noises and smells...twice....
LGG has a lot of staff of ALGERIAN origin, as does LUX and BRU. Are these guys and indeed all staff foreign or otherwise vetted absolutely thoroughly before having access to airside stands and freight sheds ?.
In 97' I was stationed briefly at LGG and found it very easy to access airside through delivery bays.
LGG has a lot of staff of ALGERIAN origin, as does LUX and BRU. Are these guys and indeed all staff foreign or otherwise vetted absolutely thoroughly before having access to airside stands and freight sheds ?.
In 97' I was stationed briefly at LGG and found it very easy to access airside through delivery bays.
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CargoOne
because unknown shipper shipments have to go through additional security procedures which costs more.(theoretically anyhow)
handling agents charging us $0.80 per kilo for "known shipper" and $1.50 per kilo for "unknown shipper"?
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CargoOne,
All reputable express companies have security polcies in line with ECAC Doc 30, the European security requirements. Unknown shippers, walkins or collections from hotels etc, must be left open or opened in the presence of the shipper for search before they are accepted. Now I appreciate the system isn't foolproof but it does show there are security measures in place for the unknown shipper.
Coleman Meyers,
Things have changed since '97! All permanent ramp access pass applications, certainly in Belgium & most other places in Europe, are screened by the police before being granted & I have seen cases where they have been rejected. No grounds are, or have to be, given but the applican will not get employed. Again, not foolproof, consider a long term sleeper that has no record, however most of the reputable companies I have contact with do take the responsibility seriously these days, turnstile access by electronic badge, random searches, etc.
Yes, there are holes that a determined individual could take advantage of but we still have to move the packages or we're all out of a job and the b**stards have won!
All reputable express companies have security polcies in line with ECAC Doc 30, the European security requirements. Unknown shippers, walkins or collections from hotels etc, must be left open or opened in the presence of the shipper for search before they are accepted. Now I appreciate the system isn't foolproof but it does show there are security measures in place for the unknown shipper.
Coleman Meyers,
Things have changed since '97! All permanent ramp access pass applications, certainly in Belgium & most other places in Europe, are screened by the police before being granted & I have seen cases where they have been rejected. No grounds are, or have to be, given but the applican will not get employed. Again, not foolproof, consider a long term sleeper that has no record, however most of the reputable companies I have contact with do take the responsibility seriously these days, turnstile access by electronic badge, random searches, etc.
Yes, there are holes that a determined individual could take advantage of but we still have to move the packages or we're all out of a job and the b**stards have won!
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ATW online today
Airlines ordered to conduct random inspections of cargo
Dateline: Wednesday November 19, 2003
The US Transportation Security Administration yesterday said it will require passenger and freight airlines to inspect air cargo randomly and directed that non-US all-cargo carriers transporting goods into and out of the US comply with "the same security procedures" that domestic air carriers must follow.
But TSA will not require 100% physical screening of air cargo because it is "impractical" given technological and infrastructure limitations. The agency, part of the Dept. of Homeland Security, announced the new mandates as it unveiled its Air Cargo Strategic Plan intended to address acknowledged shortcomings in US air cargo security. In a statement, TSA Administrator James Loy said the agency "recognizes that vulnerabilities in air cargo security threaten our entire air transportation system."
The strategic plan has four objectives. The first, "enhance[d] shipper and supply chain security," will be achieved through "a more thorough vetting of shippers and indirect air carriers applying for the Known Shipper program and validation respectively." Additionally, TSA will develop new training programs for employees involved in the movement of air cargo.
The second objective, "identify[ing] elevated risk cargo through prescreening," will be accomplished via development of a cargo pre-screening system that uses shipment data as well as information from the Known Shipper and IAC databases to develop a risk score for each specific shipment of domestic cargo. TSA noted that the US Customs Service, now the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, "has successfully used an information-based targeting regime to identify high-risk cargo entering the US for years."
TSA added that because developing the system will take time, it "will require that aircraft operators begin to randomly inspect cargo to be transported on passenger aircraft in order to add another layer of defense."
The third objective is to "identify technology for performing targeted air cargo inspections." The agency said it is planning a number of pilot projects to study the applicability of current and emerging nonintrusive inspection technologies.
Lastly, TSA wants to secure all-cargo aircraft through "appropriate facility security measures." As part of this objective, airport operators and operators of all-cargo aircraft with an MTOW of more than 12,500 lb. among other things will be required to step up employee background checks, "secure unattended aircraft" and "randomly screen cargo for stowaways."
The agency said that the strategic plan will be supported by a notice of proposed rulemaking to be published in the coming months.--Perry Flint
Link
Dateline: Wednesday November 19, 2003
The US Transportation Security Administration yesterday said it will require passenger and freight airlines to inspect air cargo randomly and directed that non-US all-cargo carriers transporting goods into and out of the US comply with "the same security procedures" that domestic air carriers must follow.
But TSA will not require 100% physical screening of air cargo because it is "impractical" given technological and infrastructure limitations. The agency, part of the Dept. of Homeland Security, announced the new mandates as it unveiled its Air Cargo Strategic Plan intended to address acknowledged shortcomings in US air cargo security. In a statement, TSA Administrator James Loy said the agency "recognizes that vulnerabilities in air cargo security threaten our entire air transportation system."
The strategic plan has four objectives. The first, "enhance[d] shipper and supply chain security," will be achieved through "a more thorough vetting of shippers and indirect air carriers applying for the Known Shipper program and validation respectively." Additionally, TSA will develop new training programs for employees involved in the movement of air cargo.
The second objective, "identify[ing] elevated risk cargo through prescreening," will be accomplished via development of a cargo pre-screening system that uses shipment data as well as information from the Known Shipper and IAC databases to develop a risk score for each specific shipment of domestic cargo. TSA noted that the US Customs Service, now the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, "has successfully used an information-based targeting regime to identify high-risk cargo entering the US for years."
TSA added that because developing the system will take time, it "will require that aircraft operators begin to randomly inspect cargo to be transported on passenger aircraft in order to add another layer of defense."
The third objective is to "identify technology for performing targeted air cargo inspections." The agency said it is planning a number of pilot projects to study the applicability of current and emerging nonintrusive inspection technologies.
Lastly, TSA wants to secure all-cargo aircraft through "appropriate facility security measures." As part of this objective, airport operators and operators of all-cargo aircraft with an MTOW of more than 12,500 lb. among other things will be required to step up employee background checks, "secure unattended aircraft" and "randomly screen cargo for stowaways."
The agency said that the strategic plan will be supported by a notice of proposed rulemaking to be published in the coming months.--Perry Flint
Link
I couldn't agree with you more!!!!
