On Tue, 1 Apr 2003, David Ross wrote: Though I'm honestly unsure of how far from reality the plan may be, I do believe further inspection of the date would be in order. Todd > Another example of the government not living in reality. These idiots are > talking about billions of dollars. Don't they realize how much are around > an airport is built up? > LAX has major companies on its southern side plus hoards of hotels and other > business on the eastern side. It has a beach under the runway approach - > will they close this too? > SJC is in the middle of San Jose > HNL has lots of business right next to it > HOU is in the middle of a built up area > I could go on but you guys get the idea. > > THE TSA IS NUTS! (I wrote that big in case there's some TSA person > monitoring this list - don't want him to miss it!) > > > David R. > http://home.attbi.com/~damiross > http://www.secure-skies.org/ > > Sent: Monday, March 31, 2003 4:58 PM > Subject: [AIRLINE] TSA wants to sterilize large land areas around airports > > > > TSA wants to sterilize large land areas around airports > > ======================================================= > > Washington, April 1st, 2003 > > > > > > The Transportation Safety Administration released today a comment that > > would indicate it will start issuing new regulations that would exclude > > anyone from accessing any land areas surrounding airports within a > > radius of three to five miles. > > > > "We are very concerned by the threat of shoulder-launched missiles which > > can be used to shoot down an aircraft" said TSA Administrator James Loy. > > > > "They are very easy to use and very easy to hide," he added. > > > > "The perimeter of security at airports has to be expanded to a much > > wider circle," said Joe Knoller to CBS a few months ago. > > > > "What we are looking at, is extending the current security perimeter > > around airports - which is currently enclosing runways and taxiways only > > - by 3 to 5 miles in order to fully protect airplanes during the landing > > and initial climb phases". > > > > Two missiles were fired from the ground at an Israeli jet that took off > > from Mombasa, Kenya, last November. > > > > Created in late 2001, two months after 19 terrorists boarded four planes > > destined for tragedy, TSA has improved airport security from curb to > > cockpit. Although there are gaps in any system, travelers are infinitely > > safer today than they were when TSA was created. > > > > If the TSA plans go ahead, thousands of building and facilities > > surrounding airports will have to move further away. A substantial > > number of households will also have to relocate. "Safety is an absolute > > necessity for the United States of America, nothing can deter the > > American public to request the safety that it deserves". > > > > One solution is ordering airlines to install missile warning and > > countermeasure systems on commercial jets, an official said. "That would > > not provide a 100% security barrier though" said Loy. > > > > Mandating no-man zones around airports would give a better shield. > > > > Airfields that are located in close proximity to urban centers may have > > to be closed down. Major airports affected would include La Guardia at > > New York City, Logan at Boston, Reagan at Washington, and San Diego, > > California. Meigs airport in downtown Chicago was bulldozed preventively > > on March 31st. > > > > "What we envision is large areas of deserted empty spaces around > > airports; that will be much easier to monitor and patrol". To save on > > surveillance costs, a noted alternative would be to land-mines these new > > artificial deserts. > > > > "This is Step Number 1 in our Vision. You can expect to hear more about > > this process in the coming weeks," concluded Loy. > --- They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. - B. Franklin, 1759