US Officials Warn Airlines, But Say Threat Is Not Specific

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that airlines in the U.S. are being warned by the Department of Homeland Security that terrorists may be responding to enhanced pat-downs and invasive body scans by developing explosive devices which could be brought through airport checkpoints by carriers who've had them surgically implanted.

Predictably, the Transportation Security Administration says it plans to respond not with intelligence-based measured to identify the bomb carriers, but by developing more intense checkpoint screening for the general population.

TSA Spokesman Nicholas Kimball told the paper, "These measures are designed to be unpredictable, so passengers should not expect to see the same activity at every international airport." He acknowledges that existing methods cannot detect plastic explosives under the skin. In it's official statement, TSA says it "recently briefed air carriers and foreign partners to provide greater insights into recent intelligence indicating the continued interest of terrorists to target aviation...Terrorist groups have repeatedly and publicly indicated interest in pursuing ways to further conceal explosives."

One U.S. security official who asked to remain anonymous told the paper, "This is new intelligence about a possible technique that could be used, however there is anything to indicate an imminent threat."

FMI: www.tsa.gov