WashingtonWire - 2004-12-06

ACLU Seeks Delay of Secure Flight Over Privacy Concerns
The American Civil Liberties Union asked the Department of Homeland Security to delay implementing the new federal air passenger screening system Secure Flight until the Government Accountability Office completes a review of privacy concerns ordered by Congress. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge last month, ACLU said the Transportation Security Administration was rushing into an "intrusive'' screening program that relies on commercial databases with no assurances the program will be effective. "The government appears to be rushing headlong to test this intrusive new screening program,'' said Barry Steinhardt, director of ACLU's Technology and Liberty Program. "Part of this screening program will rely on third-party commercial databases, and Congress wisely said there must be a thorough evaluation of the use of such databases before this test goes forward.''

TSA last month ordered U.S. airlines to turn over all passenger records from the month of June to test the program, the successor to the controversial Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System. TSA spokesman Mark Hatfield said the agency was working with GAO and members of Congress to ensure testing of Secure Flight is not delayed by the unfinished GAO investigation. European officials also have raised privacy and logistical concerns about Secure Flight, forcing TSA to limit its first test to U.S. passenger date while talks continue with the European Union.

Bid to Require Stronger Cargo Holds Dies
U.S. lawmakers last month abandoned efforts to overhaul the country's intelligence networks and in the process killed provisions that would have boosted inspection of cargo on commercial flights and given the Transportation Security Administration more authority to compare passenger lists against those of suspected terrorists. Negotiations over the larger bill collapsed on Nov. 20, in the final days of the congressional session, over provisions dealing with military intelligence and immigration. Lawmakers said they would try to pass a new bill next year, although it is unclear whether it would contain provisions aimed at improving aviation security. "We need to work on it and we will continue to do that,'' House Speaker Dennis Hastert told reporters as he reported lawmakers failed to reach a deal on the bill, which would have implemented most of the recommendations of the independent commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

The bill would have established a more reliable and consistent system for screening cargo loaded onto commercial planes, its sponsor, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) said. It would have required TSA to establish a training program for handlers of air cargo, mandated the creation of a database of known shippers, and empowered the Federal Aviation Administration to revoke the certification of airlines that didn't comply with the additional requirements. A second provision in the bill championed by Arizona Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) would have established a pilot program to equip commercial jets with blast-proof cargo holds. Twenty-two percent of all cargo travels without inspection on commercial flights, Hutchison said.