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CNN Live Today
New Airport Warning
Aired August 05, 2003 - 10:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Coming out today, a new advisory for the nation's airports and airlines. It says be on the lookout for electronic items that could be modified to carry weapons or explosives.
Our Jeanne Meserve joins us. She's in Washington with details on this latest advisory.
Jeanne, good morning.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
One Homeland Security official tells me this morning that he does not believe this new advisory will lead to significant delays for travelers, but some airport officials are worried it could as they wait to see specific recommendations from the federal government.
Authorities have been concerned about electronics for years. That is nothing new, but the advisory going out today will provide very specific information about what screeners should be looking for, down to brands and model numbers.
Among the items of concern, cell phones, remote key locks, cameras and boom boxes. Now this grows from items gathered from Al Qaeda safehouses gathered overseas, indicating that the group was looking to convert simple electronics to weapons or modify them so they could hold weapons or explosives. One example I was told about, a camera flash device modified to be a stun gun.
This information gathered at the safehouses was among the things contributing to the advisory last week, warning of future possible hijackings. Officials say the advisory is not based on any other new information.
One homeland security official I spoke to argues this information should make travelers feel safer, because screeners now have some very specific ideas about what to look for. But one of the things this advisory will mention is explosives, and the machines now at use at passenger screening points do not detect explosives, although they might reveal how electronics have been modified to contain them.
Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: Jeanne, when I listened to that list of items you came up with, except for boom boxes, you might as well tell travelers don't bring your suitcases. I mean, this is stuff that everybody travels with. What does it mean if you're traveling? Is it possible they're going to tell you, don't bring things like cell phones on board planes.
MESERVE: They're not at that point at this point. What I've been told is that passengers would be wise to take those items out of their carry-on luggage and have them X-rayed and examined separately from the carry-ons -- Daryn..
KAGAN: Which is what they remind is you over and over anyway.
MESERVE: You'll be hearing it more often now.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Jeanne Meserve in Washington, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 5, 2003 - 10:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Coming out today, a new advisory for the nation's airports and airlines. It says be on the lookout for electronic items that could be modified to carry weapons or explosives.
Our Jeanne Meserve joins us. She's in Washington with details on this latest advisory.
Jeanne, good morning.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
One Homeland Security official tells me this morning that he does not believe this new advisory will lead to significant delays for travelers, but some airport officials are worried it could as they wait to see specific recommendations from the federal government.
Authorities have been concerned about electronics for years. That is nothing new, but the advisory going out today will provide very specific information about what screeners should be looking for, down to brands and model numbers.
Among the items of concern, cell phones, remote key locks, cameras and boom boxes. Now this grows from items gathered from Al Qaeda safehouses gathered overseas, indicating that the group was looking to convert simple electronics to weapons or modify them so they could hold weapons or explosives. One example I was told about, a camera flash device modified to be a stun gun.
This information gathered at the safehouses was among the things contributing to the advisory last week, warning of future possible hijackings. Officials say the advisory is not based on any other new information.
One homeland security official I spoke to argues this information should make travelers feel safer, because screeners now have some very specific ideas about what to look for. But one of the things this advisory will mention is explosives, and the machines now at use at passenger screening points do not detect explosives, although they might reveal how electronics have been modified to contain them.
Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: Jeanne, when I listened to that list of items you came up with, except for boom boxes, you might as well tell travelers don't bring your suitcases. I mean, this is stuff that everybody travels with. What does it mean if you're traveling? Is it possible they're going to tell you, don't bring things like cell phones on board planes.
MESERVE: They're not at that point at this point. What I've been told is that passengers would be wise to take those items out of their carry-on luggage and have them X-rayed and examined separately from the carry-ons -- Daryn..
KAGAN: Which is what they remind is you over and over anyway.
MESERVE: You'll be hearing it more often now.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Jeanne Meserve in Washington, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
