»»TSA New Flight Security Rules – Fliers From 14 Countries Subjected to Intense Screening
Obama administration officials announced that passengers of 14 nations who are flying to the United States will be subjected indefinitely to the intense screening at airports worldwide that was imposed after the Christmas Day attempted terror attack.
The list of 14 countries includes: Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
The New York Times reports:
“Passengers holding passports from those nations, or taking flights that originated or passed through any of them, will be required to undergo full-body pat downs and will face extra scrutiny of their carry-on bags before they can board planes to the United States.
In some countries that have more advanced screening equipment, travelers will also be required to pass through so-called whole-body scanners that can look beneath clothing for hidden explosives or weapons, or may be checked with a device that can find tiny traces of explosives. [...] American citizens, and most others who are not flying through those 14 nations on their way to the United States, will no longer automatically face the full range of intensified security [...] Many, though not all, other passengers coming to the United States will face similar measures, but that screening will be done randomly” . (source)
The Transportation Security Administration has issued a statement on the new security rules:
“The new directive includes long-term, sustainable security measures developed in consultation with law enforcement officials and our domestic and international partners. Because effective aviation security must begin beyond our borders, and as a result of extraordinary cooperation from our global aviation partners, TSA is mandating that every individual flying into the U.S. from anywhere in the world traveling from or through nations that are state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest will be required to go through enhanced screening. The directive also increases the use of enhanced screening technologies and mandates threat-based and random screening for passengers on U.S. bound international flights.”
