Topic: Transportation Security

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Looking back: The Monitor's coverage of 9/11

A selected archive of The Monitor's coverage of 9/11 and beyond.
How Syria and other countries use emergency rule to quash dissent

The concept of emergency rule has been at the forefront of much of the Mideast unrest. Meant to help a country in times of danger, emergency law has sometimes been turned into a political tool.
Bare feet to pat-downs: Five big changes in TSA screening at airports

Security screening at US airports has undergone waves of changes in the years since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.
TSA screenings: What protections do you have?

Full-body scans and enhanced pat-downs have become America’s “primary screening” technique, but have also generated a rising tide of criticism for being too invasive. At each of the 68 major airports where the 385 new full-body scanners are in place, passengers will be directed to them, says Sarah Horowitz, spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Here's what to expect – and what protections you can demand:
In Pictures: Airport security

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US Airways jet makes unscheduled landing after passenger acts suspicious

Flight attendants heard a woman claiming to have something implanted in her skin, and the flight - bound for North Carolina from Paris - landed in Maine.
In JetBlue no-fly list mistake, toddler removed

A toddler from a family of Middle Eastern descent was removed from a JetBlue flight because of what the airline called a glitch
Secret CIA informant volunteered to be al-Qaeda bomber (+video)

The intelligence agency had planted a spy in the al-Qaeda organization behind the latest attempt at an underwear bomb; the informant's inside information was what allowed the CIA to bring down the plot and kill its organizer.
Decoder Wire
Sen. Rand Paul knows how to fix the TSA: end it

Freshman Sen. Rand Paul, backed by GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul, aims to abolish the TSA – and its intrusive searches of air travelers – and to establish a passenger bill of rights.
TSA officers charged in drug smuggling conspiracy

The screeners were accepting large cash payments to look the other way as drug couriers smuggled cocaine through security at LAX.
New airport security plans: less frisking, more 'pre-screening'

One of the Homeland Security's key priorities in the months to come will include expediting 'low-risk' travelers through security lines. One way to do this is 'pre-screening.'
Rand Paul's TSA moment: airport patdowns around the world

Sen. Rand Paul says US airport security officials are invasive without being effective. How are air passengers treated in other countries?
Rand Paul detained: Rep. refuses airport patdown after alarm

In a harshly worded attack on the Transportation Security Administration, which handles security screenings at US airports, Ron Paul, known for his strident libertarian views, said the TSA 'gropes and grabs our kids and our seniors and does nothing to keep us safe.'
Why Rand Paul refused a TSA pat down, missed flight to D.C.

Sen. Rand Paul refused a pat down by TSA agents after a scanner found an 'anomaly' on his knee. Rand Paul is a critic of TSA practices.
Looking back: The Monitor's coverage of 9/11

A selected archive of The Monitor's coverage of 9/11 and beyond.
Did TSA airport screeners violate free speech rights of bare-chested student?

A US judge in Virginia allows a college student to sue two TSA screeners over his arrest after he stripped off his clothes to reveal a protest message written on his chest.
TSA warning describes surgically implanted bombs

TSA warning: If terrorists hide bombs inside their bodies, current screening measures may be useless.
World's newest country: Can South Sudan limit internal strife?

As the Republic of South Sudan prepares to declare independence Saturday, internal ethnic and political divisions threaten the nation's long-term viability.
TSA defends searches of children, elderly, amid fresh complaints

After an elderly traveler complained of experiencing indignities at the hands of the TSA, the question arises: When do invasive searches become too invasive?
Bin Laden fallout: Do US trains need a 'no-ride list'?

Osama bin Laden wanted Al Qaeda to attack US rail transportation on the 9/11 anniversary, according to intelligence taken from his compound. A 'no-ride list' for Amtrak is being considered.
Cockpit attack highlights four on-board incidents last weekend

Five airline passengers were removed from aircraft over the weekend. Law enforcement officials say that they do not believe terrorism played a role in any of the four incidents.
Two Muslims bounced from Memphis flight, despite extra screening

Two Muslim men wearing traditional clothing were removed from a commercial flight departing Memphis on Friday. Airline apologizes, but gives no explanation for incident.
Terrorism & Security
Bin Laden considered 9/11 anniversary attack on US rail system

The potential plot, sketched out in a vague note last year, was more significant in that it showed that bin Laden was not just a figurehead of Al Qaeda but an active leader.
Mixed messages on US airport security after Osama bin Laden death

Federal officials said there were no immediate specific threats to the US after the death of Osama bin Laden. But some airports and local security officials said they were on heightened alert.
How Syria and other countries use emergency rule to quash dissent

The concept of emergency rule has been at the forefront of much of the Mideast unrest. Meant to help a country in times of danger, emergency law has sometimes been turned into a political tool.
Full-body scanners pose 'exceedingly small' radiation risk, says new study

As Japan brings radiation into daily headlines, a new report from biomedical researchers finds that full-body scanners emit 'extremely small' doses of radiation, posing very little health risk to fliers.
TSA aimed to put body scanners in public places

TSA denies it used airport body scanners elsewhere. But documents show it tested similar technology at a commuter train station in New Jersey and signed contracts for more scanning in public places.
Janet Napolitano questioned over airline stowaway on Capitol Hill

Janet Napolitano, Secretary for US Homeland Security, faced tough questioning over a runaway teen's fatal airplane ride last year. A Massachusetts congressman asked Janet Napolitano about airport security in the wake of the deadly stowaway incident.
Terrorism & Security
Moscow bombing prompts scrutiny of airport security worldwide

The Moscow bombing Monday that left 35 people dead has prompted calls for tighter airport security measures – but some say better intelligence is the answer to thwarting attacks.
Terrorism & Security
Moscow attack on airport will complicate Medvedev's investment pitch at Davos

As the investigation into the Moscow attack at Domodedovo airport continues, President Dmitry Medvedev left for Davos to seek foreign investment – now a tougher pitch.