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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Issy Boim

Aired December 23, 2001 - 08:24   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Fear and security are two of the central issues in the debate over air travel safety. What needs to be done next? We'll -- for some answers, we turn to international air security expert Issy Boim, who is also the former chief of security for the Israeli airline El Al.

Nice to see you Mr. Boim.

ISSY BOIM, AIR SECURITY INTERNATIONAL: Good morning.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's start with an overall assessment here. And what's your take on Flight 63? Who and what failed?

BOIM: Can you repeat it, please? I couldn't hear you.

PHILLIPS: Yes. I'll even try to speak a little louder. My first question to you: looking at flight 63, your assessment, who and what failed in this situation?

BOIM: Well, still we don't have enough information of what really happened there. But if you're asking me my opinion, it's most likely it was actually an attempt or somebody that has taken some kind of initiative to try to take this airplane down. I still doubt if he did have an explosive in his shoes.

PHILLIPS: Do you believe this was a terrorist?

BOIM: Again?

PHILLIPS: Do you believe this was a terrorist?

BOIM: Look, it's a terrorist activity, no doubt of it. However, I'm not sure -- so sure -- that actually it was well planned from a terrorist organization. It could be that somebody individually has decided to take an initiative, and it was supported by the very small organizations that they have taken the decision to take some affiliation (ph) from us, from the American aviation.

PHILLIPS: Is international security limited in any way with regard to training, resources?

BOIM: As you could see, even though if it's not real terrorist attack, but let's take it for -- that it was something had happened yesterday. So it's actually, for us it's very clear that we need to change our concept and intensify our decision to focus only on the passenger and beside the effort that we are doing -- is belonging. So we need to actually to be able to define who from the passengers could be, or could present a threat to us during the operations.

PHILLIPS: This was a man that was not led on the airplane the first time around on Friday. Then the second time when he did get on, he did not check a bag. Two very peculiar facts in this situation. Why was he not flagged? Why was this man cleared to fly?

BOIM: I think this is going back to our concept. We need to have the authorization to station manager or somebody else in the station to deny him to go onboard. Which means here you see that -- and we have to understand we our limited to how much we can check. Which means if we are doing now -- we are going now to a new era where we have to check the shoes, it's definitely that we will not be able to do it on every passenger. So we must define who the passengers that we will focus on them.

And even though it will be very difficult for us to find explosives which doesn't contain any metallic components in the shoes. So, as a matter of fact, somebody here has to take a decision and to deny this passenger to go on board. To me -- if I may add -- if it's right, he is issued this passport in Brussels. A British passport issued in Brussels, and the flight is going from Paris, to me, is a question that has to be answered before this gentleman will be able to go onboard.

PHILLIPS: Lots of red flags. And, sir, real quickly, before we let you go, do you know why he was not allowed to board the first time?

BOIM: They have no -- enough information about. But, look, if somebody -- let's take about checking bags, OK? If you don't -- you are not checking bags, you must be most likely a businessman that's going for a short time. So you need to come and ask this person, "Where is your bag? What are you going to do? How come that you have actually issued -- that your passport in Brussels? If this man cannot answer a sufficient answer, then he cannot be on board before I would start even checking him.

PHILLIPS: Terrific insight. Issy Boim, Air Security International. Also, former El Al security officer. Thank you so much, sir.

BOIM: Thank you.

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