Wed, Jun 02, 2010
Tells Attendees Airport Security Trumps Privacy Concerns
Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano (pictured,
right) traveled to the Middle East over the Memorial
Day holiday. Napolitano went to the UAE at the invitation of that
country's Minister of the Economy, Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri.
She and her counterparts from the Middle East region and officials
from the International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) attended a conference held in Abu
Dhabi to discuss ways to bolster global aviation security
Monday and Tuesday.
This is the fifth in a series of major international meetings
hosted by ICAO member states in which the Secretary has
participated to build consensus on strengthening global aviation
security, and to identify specific steps which nations can take
individually and collectively to protect all passengers.
Napolitano said concerns over privacy should not get in the way
of international cooperation on airport security. DHS has moved to
put full-body scanners in place following the Christmas day attempt
to detonate a bomb on an airliner bound for Detroit from Amsterdam.
Some Muslim and civil liberties groups have protested that move
because of the full-body nature of the image the machines
produce.
Napolitano said she was "respectful and cognizant" of privacy
concerns, and that "(r)espect for privacy is a value we share. But
all countries have unique legal traditions, cultural differences,
and political realities. I believe that we should not allow
these differences to keep us from working toward a common goal and
a deep and stronger partnership with respect to security and
privacy," she said.
Briebart News Service reports that Napolitano said technology
should be used to its fullest advantage. "To effectively maintain
the initiative in fighting terrorism and crime, we must also
effectively utilize the intellect of our scientific community to
pursue our common cause," she said.
Napolitano told the conference that there are already machines
in development in the private sector that could detect the kinds of
explosives used on December 25th while still protecting the privacy
of an individual being scanned.
Prior to visiting UAE, Secretary Napolitano traveled to Saudi
Arabia on May 30-31 at the invitation of Prince Mohammed bin Nayef
for meetings with top Saudi officials about a variety of global
security issues. Also on the agenda were counter-terrorism,
counter-radicalization and cooperation on critical infrastructure
protection. She was also slated to deliver remarks to students and
businesswomen about the importance of opportunities in education
and the value of public service for women across the world.
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