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Amsterdam airport's new 'X-ray' security scan reveals all
Tue May 15, 10:07 PM
AMSTERDAM (AFP) - Amsterdam's Schiphol_Airport Tuesday introduced a new security scan that sees through clothes, the first airport in the world to use the system, officials said.
The scan outlines body contours, making it easy for security personnel to see if anyone is carrying weapons or smuggling money or drugs.
Airport authorities said the scan was quicker and better than body searches.
To ensure privacy, the images from the scan are analysed by a security attendant in a separate room. The face of the person is also blurred to avoid recognition.
Schiphol put two such scanning machines into operation Tuesday and another 15 are set to follow. For the present, passengers can choose between the body scan or regular controls, which sometimes include being frisked.
A model of GCHQ headquarters in Cheltenham
GCHQ, in partnership with its equivalent agencies in the United States (National Security Agency), Canada (Communications Security Establishment), Australia (Defence Signals Directorate) and New Zealand (Government Communications Security Bureau), otherwise known as the UKUSA group, is believed to be responsible for the operation of the ECHELON system. Its capabilities are suspected to include the ability to monitor a large proportion of the world's transmitted civilian telephone, fax and data traffic, primarily by way of satellite intercepts.
Security
El_Al has the reputation of being the most secure airline in the world for the following reasons:
"Approximately six undercover agents (formerly two; exact numbers are never given for security purposes) accompany each international El Al flight, sitting amongst passengers, with hidden firearms. Most El Al pilots are former Israeli Air Force fighter pilots, and all El Al flight crew members are trained in hand-to-hand combat. In fact, most El Al employees have served in the Israel Defense Force (since national service is compulsory in Israel for most citizens).
The cockpit in El Al's aircraft have double doors to prevent entry by unauthourized people. A code is required to access the doors, and the second door will only be opened after the first has closed and the person has been identified by the captain or first officer. Furthermore, there are reinforced steel floors separating the passenger cabin from the baggage hold. This is intended to strengthen the plane in case of an explosion in the hold or vice versa. The El Al fleet is also the only commercial airline fleet in the world to be equipped with anti-missile countermeasures (the radar-based Flight Guard system). Switzerland has refused El Al flights landing rights because of fears that flares dropped by such an automated system might cause fires on the ground near airports, and other European governments have expressed similar views. El Al does not comment about the specifications of these systems."
"The majority of domestic and foreign commercial flights originating in Israel have armed sky marshals. Sky marshals became an issue in late 2003 when United States ordered foreign airlines to have armed guards on flights to and from the country as a precaution against terrorist attacks. Many of the involved countries and carriers have expressed great reservation towards the idea since they fear that having weapons on board only increases the risk of terrorist actions. Others maintain that these reservations are unfounded, citing the record of El Al, which has a number of armed marshals on each flight, and has only been the victim of one successful hijacking, in 1968. Sky marshals may be provided by the various airlines or by government agencies such as the US Federal Air Marshal Service."