Bomb Makers Plotted Blasts Over U.S.

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Investigators looking into the recent attempt to send explosives to the U.S. on board cargo flights believe they have determined the intent of those behind the plot. According to investigators, there are several signs that indicate that the bombers intended for the explosives to detonate while the cargo planes were in mid-air before they landed at their destinations. For example, the cell phones that the terrorists used as detonators had been altered to maximize their battery life. Authorities say that the changes, which included removing the screen face from the cell phones, could have allowed the devices’ batteries to last three to four days. In addition, officials say that the fact that the packages that contained the explosives had outdated addresses of synagogues in Chicago was another indication that the terrorists behind the plot wanted to detonate their explosives while the cargo planes were in mid-air. However, authorities do not believe that the terrorists would have had full control over where the devices would have detonated. It remains unclear whether the devices would have worked as designed.

Focus on Cargo Security Steps

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The recent interception of several packages filled with dangerous explosives bound for Chicago from Yemen has put the spotlight on air freight security. The Obama administration is expected to propose a plan to improve such cargo inspection, improvements that many experts say are long overdue. That is not to say that they are calling on 100 percent package inspection as such a policy has the potential to adversely impact shipping times. Instead, they suggest undertaking a targeted, risk-basked approach that would profile shipments based on country of origin or shipper identity. Regardless of the approach, there does appear to be room for a change as it is estimated that the overall percentage of shipments screened prior to entering the U.S. may be as low as 50 percent. There are a number of reasons for these security oversights, including a shortage of funding for screening technology and the reluctance of cargo companies to help improve screening procedures. These procedures vary based on the country where the package originated according to government oversight and the state of the cargo industry in the area. Differences in air-cargo security are higher than those in passenger security policies. In fact, the U.S. actually has more cargo inspectors than Europe. However, the European Union is largely complying with the U.S. mandate that 100 percent of all cargo loaded on passenger planes gets screened. But cargo that arrives in the E.U. and is redirected to other countries does not get rescreened. For example, cargo can arrive in Europe from Pakistan and go onto a flight to Argentina without being checked. From there it could then enter the U.S. without being screened.