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British Air Cuts Flights to Saudi Arabia; Missile Smuggling Plot Leads to Push for New Inventory of Weapons
Aired August 13, 2003 - 10:02 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We also information just coming to us now. We want to make sure we get it out to you. British Airways is saying that as a matter of precaution, they are suspending all flights to Saudi Arabia. Once again, British Airways now spending all flights to Saudi Arabia as a matter of precaution. You can see there airplanes there on the tarmac. Once again, we are going to be following this story. Until further notice those flights to Saudi Arabia will be canceled.
So how real is the missile threat and what can be done to protect the flying public? For that we turn to CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve. Hello to you, Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. I've just gotten off the phone with a Homeland Security official who in light of the news from bit British Airways says he is still not aware of any specific threats against U.S. commercial air traffic.
That said, however, there is general concern about the threat these missiles could pose. A number of things have been done, a series of advisories have gone out to the airline industry warning them of the threat, urging them to be vigilant.
In addition, there has been an interagency task force that has been deployed. It has completed evaluations of the vulnerabilities of major U.S. airports and made some recommendations about things to be done to increase security, things like more fencing, more surveillance, more patrols.
This interagency team also has gone overseas and is looking at about a dozen airports overseas where U.S. carriers fly to or from frequently. Also airports that have strategic value to the United States. That evaluation still under way.
That clearly isn't a perfect solution, given the range of these missiles. So more is being done in addition. The Bush administration has been pushing international efforts to control inventories of these weapons and prevent them from flowing from legitimate military organizations into the hands of terrorists in some very high-risk countries. They have even instituted some buyback programs to try and get these things.
But there are some members of Congress who none of thus is enough. What they want to see is the deployment, very soon, of anti- missile technology on America's commercial air fleet. Estimates are that this could cost $7 to $10 billion, a lot of money. The Department of Homeland Security is not convinced that that investment is worthwhile at the moment, because they say there is no one technology that is 100 percent effective. They have asked eight commercial contractors to come up with detailed plans for technologies that might someday be deployed. What they'll be looking at is the effectiveness and also at that cost, because ultimately someone's going to have to weigh what the risks are here, whether the cost is worth it. And in addition they're going to have to determine who is going to foot the bill, will it be the airlines or will it be the U.S. government -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Lots of questions to be answered, of course. Also a question that comes to mind, is it possible that more arrests could be made in this case?
MESERVE: Administration officials tell me this morning that yes, they are looking to expand this investigation. They are exploring whether these arrests could lead them to other individuals, to other weapons, to other smuggling deals. That is being actively explored at this point in time, but one government source says no arrests are eminent at this point in time.
COLLINS: All right, CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve this morning. Jeanne, we'll be checking in later, I'm sure. Thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Smuggling Plot Leads to Push for New Inventory of Weapons>
Aired August 13, 2003 - 10:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We also information just coming to us now. We want to make sure we get it out to you. British Airways is saying that as a matter of precaution, they are suspending all flights to Saudi Arabia. Once again, British Airways now spending all flights to Saudi Arabia as a matter of precaution. You can see there airplanes there on the tarmac. Once again, we are going to be following this story. Until further notice those flights to Saudi Arabia will be canceled.
So how real is the missile threat and what can be done to protect the flying public? For that we turn to CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve. Hello to you, Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. I've just gotten off the phone with a Homeland Security official who in light of the news from bit British Airways says he is still not aware of any specific threats against U.S. commercial air traffic.
That said, however, there is general concern about the threat these missiles could pose. A number of things have been done, a series of advisories have gone out to the airline industry warning them of the threat, urging them to be vigilant.
In addition, there has been an interagency task force that has been deployed. It has completed evaluations of the vulnerabilities of major U.S. airports and made some recommendations about things to be done to increase security, things like more fencing, more surveillance, more patrols.
This interagency team also has gone overseas and is looking at about a dozen airports overseas where U.S. carriers fly to or from frequently. Also airports that have strategic value to the United States. That evaluation still under way.
That clearly isn't a perfect solution, given the range of these missiles. So more is being done in addition. The Bush administration has been pushing international efforts to control inventories of these weapons and prevent them from flowing from legitimate military organizations into the hands of terrorists in some very high-risk countries. They have even instituted some buyback programs to try and get these things.
But there are some members of Congress who none of thus is enough. What they want to see is the deployment, very soon, of anti- missile technology on America's commercial air fleet. Estimates are that this could cost $7 to $10 billion, a lot of money. The Department of Homeland Security is not convinced that that investment is worthwhile at the moment, because they say there is no one technology that is 100 percent effective. They have asked eight commercial contractors to come up with detailed plans for technologies that might someday be deployed. What they'll be looking at is the effectiveness and also at that cost, because ultimately someone's going to have to weigh what the risks are here, whether the cost is worth it. And in addition they're going to have to determine who is going to foot the bill, will it be the airlines or will it be the U.S. government -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Lots of questions to be answered, of course. Also a question that comes to mind, is it possible that more arrests could be made in this case?
MESERVE: Administration officials tell me this morning that yes, they are looking to expand this investigation. They are exploring whether these arrests could lead them to other individuals, to other weapons, to other smuggling deals. That is being actively explored at this point in time, but one government source says no arrests are eminent at this point in time.
COLLINS: All right, CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve this morning. Jeanne, we'll be checking in later, I'm sure. Thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Smuggling Plot Leads to Push for New Inventory of Weapons>
