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CNN Live Sunday

Federal Government Has Plans to Improve Airport Security

Aired July 07, 2002 - 18:08   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The federal government has plans at least to beef up security patrols in America's airports, but with last week's deadly shooting at Los Angeles International Airport fresh on people's minds, will such patrols be enough? CNN's Patty Davis reports there may be no way to erase the terrorism threat absolutely.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A memorial service for Yakov Aminov in Los Angeles. Aminov was gunned down at the El Al ticket counter as he accompanied a friend to the airport. Services also for El Al ticket agent Victoria Hen, a second victim; the suspect Hesham Mohamed Hadayet, an Egyptian immigrant, himself shot dead by an El Al security agent.

The Transportation Security Administration concedes the situation would have been worse had it happened at any other airline counter. It plans to add armed federal security officers to public areas of airports by the end of the year, a plan it says was already in the works. Some say the federal government may have to go further.

NADINE BRIDGES, TRAVELER: I think security should start as soon as the person puts their feet on the ground as far as getting into the airport.

DAVIS: In other words, move the security perimeter from airport checkpoints behind the ticket counter to the airport's front door.

SEN. RICHARD SHELBY (R), ALABAMA: They ought to do what they have to to narrow the perimeter to keep people from the danger zones and I guess you do that by moving it back some way.

DAVIS: The TSA says that's not under consideration and passenger groups say it's not a good idea.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we need to do in aviation safety and security is to solve problems, not move them to different locations. If you move the perimeter out to the terminal door, you've just moved the people outside and made them vulnerable outside instead of inside.

DAVIS: Others say there is no 100 percent foolproof way to prevent terrorism in public places.

SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D), FLORIDA: As long as we have an America that is as open and free as it is, we are going to have vulnerabilities.

DAVIS (on camera): The Transportation Security Administration hoping the billions it is spending on new security measures, both behind and in front of the ticket counter will at least reduce the odds of anyone using the nation's airports to terrorize Americans.

Patty Davis, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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