DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and IATA Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani at a January 22, 2010 Press Conference at IATA’s Offices in Geneva

Press Briefing

with

Janet Napolitano
Secretary of Homeland Security

and

Giovanni Bisignani

CEO and Director General
International Air Transport Association (IATA)

Friday, January 22, 2010

See Photo Gallery

MR. BISIGNANI: Good afternoon to everybody, and it has been my honor to welcome the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to our head office here in Geneva.

We have just concluded a very important meeting. I could call it an historic meeting on aviation security.

Security, as you know, is our top priority. It’s a top priority now for governments and for all airlines in the world. Secretary Napolitano has brought a fresh, a new approach to aviation security which is very greatly appreciated by all IATA airlines.

IATA represents 230 airlines from 120 countries, carrying 2.2 billion passengers a year. Secretary Napolitano recognizes that the threats in this industry are complex and are global. More importantly, Secretary Napolitano is taking a completely different approach from her predecessors. She understands that industry and governments must work together. This is not just words. But today’s meeting is proof of what I’ve just mentioned.

We are living in a very difficult world. Security is now at the top of the priority of governments and of airlines. The U.S. cannot keep terrorists outside its borders without the close consultation of governments and airlines, foreign and domestic. And airlines cannot keep terrorists off our planes without the good work and cooperation of government. The events of Christmas Day remind us of this fact.

Coming to our offices to engage IATA is an impressive demonstration of Secretary Napolitano’s commitment to engage the industry to find workable and effective solutions tolimit as much as we can the hassle of the passengers, while remembering that number one priority today is security. This is a major step in the right direction.

Of course a single meeting cannot solve the many many challenges that we face. On behalf of the airline industry, I presented the Secretary with several ideas on how we can work together to make global aviation more secure. I was there with 27 airlines representing all the regions where we operate giving a global presentation of issues that we face.

I raised to the Secretary several points, starting with working together on a continuous basis so that security policies can be written with the benefit of operational expertise. Airilnes bring expertise on how we can implement security measures.

Second, we asked for alignment of security requirements with the industry execution capabilities, respecting the laws of different countries. In the conversation that followed the presentation, some CEOs from different countries gave clear examples of certain requirements that they could not carry out under local laws.

Third, we discussed making passenger data collection and sharing more efficient. Airilnes collect an enormous number of information that we give to the U.S. and other governments. I think that we should be able with DHS to create a simpler way to transmit passenger information, at least creating a single program for data exchange. This would benefit the airlines and the DHS.

Fourth, we must get governments to harmonize their approach across borders. The Secretary is just coming from a very important meeting with her European colleagues which is a good sign. We must ensure that one country’s requirements do not conflict another country’s legislation. From the airlines perspective, we gave the example that you are quite familiar with, that of PNR data. We dealt with this for two years, battling between having a fine in the US or going to jail because we were not following the privacy law in many European countries.

Finally, we discussed the importance of following up with technology, with a next generation of security checkpoints that could combine the best technology with intelligence information. The threats have changed. We must look for bad people, not only for bad objects. If we are able to combine those two pieces of information, the screening process will be much more effective.

But let me emphasize that more important than the agenda of this very useful meeting is the new approach that President Obama and the Secretary have brought to international security of aviation.

I think that this new administration has brought a sea change to aviation security by proactively engaging the industry to combine government intelligence with airline operational expertise. This is the way forward in which we will be able to battle and win the battle against terrorists in aviation.

Thank you very much, Ms. Secretary.

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO: Thank you very much. We just concluded what I think were some very productive discussions between myself, my team, and other individuals from the United States and the International Air Transport Association. Giovanni, thank you very much for pulling this meeting together and having such great representation from around the world of all different types of carriers so that we really begin looking afresh at international aviation security standards——how we are implementing them, and what we need to do from an operational standpoint——recognizing that government and the carriers themselves are working together and need to work together to continue to improve the air environment.

As Giovanni just referenced, yesterday I was in Spain meeting with the European Union Justice and Home Affairs Ministers. There, we reached a consensus on a way forward to strengthen our international aviation system with respect to information sharing; with respect to best practices sharing; with respect to investment in science and technology; with respect to increasing international aviation standards; and with respect to providing technical assistance and other types of assistance throughout the globe——not just within one country or the other——recognizing that the international aviation system is global in nature and that a traveler who gains access to it at any one point potentially can have access to the entire system. That is why it was so essential to leave that consensus with the EU and come right to IATA which represents airlines and countries around the world. They had presentations from around the world. I will leave here to meet with the head of ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organization]——which is the UN aviation body——because the United States view is that we must move globally; we must move internationally; we must move government and private sector; and we must move as an international community of responsible nations to deal with any threats to aviation security.

Immediately after the December 25th attack on Flight 253, we recognized that this was an international incident. It may have been a flight to the United States, but it was a flight that originated abroad, in Amsterdam. The passenger had actually started in Nigeria. There were passengers from 17 countries on that flight who would have perished had Umar Farouk’s attempt been successful.

An international incident merits an international response in at least four areas. One——information collection and analysis; two——information sharing and collaboration and passenger vetting; three——international security standards; and four——development and deployment of information and screening technology.

I was with my EU colleagues yesterday—I’m here with the private sector today. I’ve met with the U.S.-flagged carriers already. And we have invitations now in Abuja, Nigeria, to meet at the African Regional level under the auspices of ICAO to discuss these issues. We have meetings set forth for the Western Hemisphere that will occur in Mexico City and be co-hosted by Mexico and Brazil. And we are moving forward internationally——globally——all working together to make sure that we have one consensus, one number one standard, one number and one goal——and that is the safety of any air passenger from whatever place their flight originates to whatever destination it is intended.

With that I think we’re both pleased to take questions.

QUESTION: Swiss Television. What is your answer regarding the privacy concern with the body scanning, especially in countries where maybe bodies, female bodies are a very sensitive issue.

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO: Two things. First, I think it’s important to recognize that the scanning technology itself has already evolved from the original iteration which was the focus of so many privacy concerns. One common device that is used masks the face. In the United States we mask the face. The reader is not even at the place where the scanner is so you can’t associate anything with an individual. No records are made or kept of the actual screening.

Amsterdam uses another type of device where you actually only get like a cartoon stick figure that merely points out where someone in secondary screening should do some enhanced searching.

So the technology has advanced very, very rapidly from a privacy point of view as well as an efficiency point of view.

That being said——this is not about use of body scanners or not. This is not something that the United States is seeking as an international mandate. There are many many things that go into safety in the air environment, beginning with good intelligence collection, good intelligence analysis, good information sharing, good passenger information sharing, good procedures at airports that can include explosives detection——can include behavior detection officers, can include canines and magnetometers. So there’s a whole mix of tools in that particular tool box of which the body scanner is only one.

So the idea is——moving forward——consensus on the continued need for emphasis on security standards to provide assistance to nations where meeting standards is difficult from a resource perspective and other perspectives, and to simply put those kinds of scanners as one option available to countries, that they may choose to use or not. In the United States we’re going to move to use them.

QUESTION: BNA, Washington. This is a question more to Mr. Bisignani.

I know these are early days and you don’t have a consensus yet on what is needed in terms of heightened security measures, but do you have any inkling of what this might cost, who will pay for it, and what this might mean for your already pretty dismal prospects in 2010? I think you’re going to lose some five billion in your industry this year you project, and what this might have in terms of making that figure even bigger. Thank you.

MR. BISIGNANI: We are always stressing that security is a government responsibility and we need the government to pay the bills. Unfortunately, we have seen that not many governments are paying the bill. The airlines have paid last year is $5.9 billion. In an industry that’s losing a lot of money this is a big issue. But it is important that all expenses must have a cost/benefit analysis. This is what we would like to see.

Referring to what the Secretary just mentioned regarding screening, I think it’s important to think of screening as part of a risk-based approach. We must combine the new screening technology with some intelligence. This means having some information on the passenger–the origin of the passenger, the way that the ticket was paid for, and other behaviors. Having this data to hand, we can take a certain kind of risk-based approach at the moment that we screen the passengers.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, I represent Kuwait News Agency.

I’d like to ask you, how could you avoid racial profiling when 14 of the countries chosen to be scanned, their citizens, 13 of them are Muslims. How could you avoid antagonizing the Muslim world, racial profiling, and making the balance of security at the same moment? Thank you.

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO: Obviously the kind of radical violent Islam that is represented in al-Qaida and satellite movements doesn’t represent Islam. We begin with that from the United States perspective.

That list of countries was developed with the U.S. State Department. It is based on the list of state sponsors of terrorism and other state countries of interest. We have been very clear in discussions with countries that have raised questions about this——that the countries may be added or subtracted from the list.

We’ve also been very clear about the following. It doesn’t matter what country you are originating from right now, even from other countries we are requiring that over half of passengers received enhance screening. So we are in a very much enhanced screening environment and it is risk based in the sense that the threats have been to aviation——to flights that come into the United States——and it is that risk that we are mitigating through some of these measures.

QUESTION: French Press Agency, AFP. Good Afternoon. For body scanners there were privacy questions or doubts from countries. But also for data sharing on passengers, and this has been the case in the past too, from European countries and other countries in the world.

You’re talking that there’s now a broad consensus. What exactly does that mean? How far do you feel are your European partners willing to go in sharing this information? Does this mean that you will get whole lists? How detailed is this information? How far are you in this consensus? How concrete is it?

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO: I think this is important to recognize what we’re talking about is advanced passenger information. Passenger name records——that information is designed for ensuring the safety of the air environment and enabling governments and airlines to verify the identity of and the security of passengers who are coming to board a flight before they even get into the airport environment. That’s how it is structure——that is how it is limited.

Now we’re talking——And there was, I must say, broad consensus——broad consensus in the EU meetings yesterday that what has been happening bilaterally within European countries now needs to happen amongst the EU——and the validity and utility of that sort of data sharing. And that is something that we will be moving forward on and I think the EU will be moving forward on. I think the issues now are, how do you make sure you’re getting the data you need as it’s standardized and so forth? Because you’re talking—— as Giovanni said, his association represents airlines that move billions of passengers a year. So how do you set up so that the information is shared in the most efficient way to protect passenger safety?

MR. BISIGNANI: We’ve seen that we had some problems two or three years ago between Europe and the US with the access to PNR data. It took a bit of time, but after those problems were solved it showed that cooperatoin is the way forward when handling this data.

QUESTION: Associated Press. Madame Secretary, this conversation, I know you weren’t in your position nine years ago, but it sounds somewhat similar to the talk we heard after 9/11. What hasn’t really happened in the last eight years, and why is it necessary to do this now, more than eight years after 3,000 people died on U.S. soil?

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO: You’re right——I wasn’t in this position nine years ago——and let me just say that there has been a lot of advancement in that nine years. For example——PNR [Passenger Name Record] data being shared with the United States.

However, there is more that needs and can be done. There is more globalization of the measures that needs to occur. This is not just about the United States. It is about the safety within the entire international environment. It’s about the increasing ability of technology to assist us in improving the efficacy of what we’re doing——the need to make sure that whatever intelligence gaps there were as described by Admiral Blair the other day in the Senate, are repaired. It means moving forward in a very aggressive way——always constantly understanding it is a changing threat environment.

I’ve heard many times, “what’s different now than 9/11? Why are we doing this now after the attempted Christmas attack?”

9/11, you need to understand, was a very different kind of attack. It was orchestrated over a long period of time, involved man individuals, it involved taking over the aircraft themselves and using them as weapons to fly into the World Trade Center, into the Pentagon, and——but for the intercession of passengers——probably into the Capitol. Right?

This was not that kind of attack. This was an individual who was recruited basically to be a suicide bomber on a plane using an explosive material known as PETN. The kinds of things that were done on 9/11 to take over the aircraft have been fixed. It’s an ever-evolving threat environment. It means we have to be able to have intelligence that understands that individuals will be used to try to get through gaps in the system. It means that threats may be coming from countries like Yemen that previously perhaps were not the focus of attention——so much attention. It means that we cannot simply rely on magnetometers to pick up weapons that could be used to take over an aircraft——it means we have to have screeners that can detect liquids, powders, gels and other material.

What is different now is the threat environment is different, the technology is different, the global aspect of this has greater recognition. There were passengers from 17 countries as I said, on 253. And the recognition that as we move forward this needs to involve the international community of nations——that’s why ICAO is so important; and it needs to involve the private sector, the carriers themselves, and that is why IATA is so important.

MR. BISIGNANI: By all means, flying is much more secure than before. Much more secure. But it’s an ongoing process as the Secretary was saying. On our side airlines are taking the burden of $5.9 billion of costs every year. We still have a problem with the hassle factor for our passengers which we must to try to mitigate. We had some discussion how we could better communicate to passesneger to to explain what we’re doing with our approach to security. And we have to take advantage of new technology, including the new tools that the Secretary was mentioning.

I think that we are moving in the right direction. It’s important that we keep the pressure on, but we can very clearly say to our passengers that the atmosphere in which they are flying, the environment in which they are flying, is much more secure than before September 11th.

QUESTION: Spanish News Agency EFE. I’m sorry to be away off the subject today, but it refers to security as well. I would like to ask you if you could please elaborate, why the FBI used the image of a Spanish politician to show how Bin Laden will be in the future?

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO: I think that’s a question addressed to the FBI. I think they’ve already apologized for that, however.

# # # #

Secretary Napolitano Speaking at a Press Conference at IATA Following the Meeting with Airline Leaders

Press Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Contact: DHS Press Office, (202) 282-8010

Press Release
January 22, 2010

Talks Build on Ministerial Consensus Reached Yesterday in Spain to Coordinate on Urgent Enhancement of International Aviation Security Standards

GENEVA—Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today met with members of the International Air Transport Association (IATA)—which represents approximately 230 airlines and more than 90 percent of the world’s air traffic—in Geneva as part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to work with the airline industry to meet both international and U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security standards.

“Effective aviation security relies upon close coordination between airlines, government and law enforcement to identify, deter and disrupt threats,” said Secretary Napolitano. “I am committed to working closely with the airline industry and my international counterparts to strengthen global aviation security standards for passengers traveling to the United States and around the world.”

During today’s meeting—which included IATA CEO and Director General Giovanni Bisignani and leaders from approximately 20 airlines from across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and North America—Secretary Napolitano emphasized the airline industry’s important role in implementing stronger and more effective international security measures to protect the traveling public.

She outlined four broad areas for international public-private collaboration that will help bolster efforts to protect the aviation system while facilitating legitimate travel: improving information collection and analysis; increasing information sharing and collaboration in passenger vetting; enhancing international security standards; and deploying new screening technology.

Secretary Napolitano also met with officials from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Geneva on these issues.

Secretary Napolitano’s trip began yesterday in Toledo, Spain, where she met with her European counterparts to discuss ways to strengthen international aviation security standards—the first of a series of global meetings intended to bring about broad consensus on new international aviation security standards and procedures.

“Yesterday, my European counterparts and I reached consensus on a way forward to strengthen the international civil aviation system through enhanced information collection and sharing, cooperation on technological development, and modernized aviation security standards,” said Secretary Napolitano.

Earlier this month, Secretary Napolitano dispatched Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute, Assistant Secretary for Policy David Heyman and other senior Department officials to meet with government leaders and major international airport executives in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and South America to review airport security procedures and work on ways to collectively bolster our tactics for defeating terrorists.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) does not conduct screening in international airports. All last point of departure flights to the United States must minimum standards set by ICAO as well as any security standards set by the TSA.

Following the attempted terrorist attack on Dec. 25, TSA issued a new Security Directive, developed in consultation with law enforcement officials and domestic and international partners, which mandates that every individual flying into the U.S. from anywhere in the world who holds a passport issued by or is traveling from or through nations that are state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest undergo enhanced screening.

The Directive also increases the use of enhanced screening technologies and mandates threat-based and random additional screening for passengers on U.S.-bound international flights. DHS also bolstered security at domestic airports through additional explosive detection canine teams, law enforcement personnel, Behavior Detection Officers, enhanced screening and other measures both seen and unseen.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.

###

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano

Testimony of Secretary Napolitano before the Senate Committee on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, “Intelligence Reform: The Lessons and Implications of the Christmas Day Attack” (Written Testimony)

Release Date: January 20, 2010

Dirksen Senate Office Building
(Remarks as Prepared)

Chairman Lieberman, Senator Collins, and members of the Committee: Thank you for this opportunity to testify on the attempted terrorist attack on Northwest Flight 253.

The attempted attack on December 25 was a powerful illustration that terrorists will go to great lengths to defeat the security measures that have been put in place since September 11, 2001. This Administration is determined to thwart those plans and disrupt, dismantle and defeat terrorist networks by employing multiple layers of defense that work in concert with one another to secure our country. This is an effort that involves not just DHS, but many other federal agencies and the international community as well.

As our part in this effort, DHS is a consumer of the U.S. Government’s consolidated terrorist watchlist, which we use to help keep potential terrorists off flights within, over or bound for the United States and to identify travelers that require additional screening. We work with foreign governments, Interpol, and air carriers to strengthen global air travel security by advising them on security measures and on which passengers may prove a threat. We also work with air carriers and airport authorities to perform physical screening at TSA checkpoints and to provide security measures in flight.

Immediately following the December 25 attack, DHS took swift action at airports across the country and around the world. These steps included enhancing screening for individuals flying to the United States; increasing the presence of law enforcement and explosives detection canine teams at air ports, and of air marshals in flight; and directing the FAA to notify the 128 flights already inbound from Europe about the situation. Nonetheless, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab should never have been able to board a U.S.-bound plane with the explosive PETN on his person. As President Obama has made clear, this Administration is determined to find and fix the vulnerabilities in our systems that allowed this breach to occur.

Agencies across the federal government have worked quickly to address what went wrong in the Abdulmutallab case. The effort to solve these problems is well underway, with cooperation among DHS, the Department of State, the Department of Justice, the Intelligence Community, and our international allies, among others. As a consumer of terrorist watchlist information, the Department of Homeland Security welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the dialogue on improving the federal government’s ability to connect and assimilate intelligence. We are also focused on improving aviation screening and expanding our international partnerships to guard against a similar type of attack occurring again. To those ends, today I want to describe the role that DHS currently performs in aviation security, how DHS responded in the immediate aftermath of the attempted Christmas Day attack, and how we are moving forward to further bolster aviation security.

DHS’ Role in Multiple Layers of Defense

Since 9/11, the U.S. government has employed multiple layers of defense across several departments to secure the aviation sector and ensure the safety of the traveling public. Different federal agencies bear different responsibilities, while other countries and the private sector – especially the air carriers themselves – also have important roles to play.

DHS oversees several programs to prevent individuals with terrorist ties from boarding flights that are headed to, within, or traveling over the United States or, in appropriate cases, to identify them for additional screening. Specifically, DHS uses information held in the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB), a resource managed by the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC), as well as other information provided through the Intelligence Community to screen individuals; operates the travel authorization program for people who are traveling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) 1; and works with foreign governments, international and regional organizations, and airlines to design and implement improved security standards worldwide. This includes routine checks against Interpol databases on wanted persons and lost or stolen passports on all international travelers arriving in the United States. The Department also performs checkpoint screenings at airports in the United States.

To provide a sense of the scale of our operations, every day, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processes 1.2 million travelers seeking to enter the United States by land, air or sea; the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screens 1.8 million travelers at domestic airports; and DHS receives advanced passenger information from carriers operating in 245 international airports that are the last point of departure for flights to the United States, accounting for about 1,600 to 1,800 flights per day. Ensuring that DHS employees and all relevant federal officials are armed with intelligence and information is critical to the success of these efforts.

Safeguards for Visas and Travel

One of the first layers of defense in securing air travel consists of safeguards to prevent dangerous people from obtaining visas, travel authorizations and boarding passes. To apply for entry to the United States prior to boarding flights bound for the U.S. or arriving at a U.S. port of entry, most foreign nationals need visas – issued by a U.S. embassy or consulate – or, if traveling under a Visa Waiver Program country, travel authorizations issued through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) 2.

Issuing visas is the responsibility of the Department of State. At embassies and consulates where it is operational, the Visa Security Program positions personnel of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assist State Department personnel in identifying visa applicants who may present a security threat. For individuals traveling under the VWP, DHS operates ESTA, a web-based system through which individuals must apply for travel authorization prior to traveling to the United States. These systems examine an individual’s information to assess whether he or she could pose a risk to the United States or its citizens, including possible links to terrorism. Without presenting a valid authorization to travel to the United States at the airport of departure, a foreign national is not able to board a U.S.-bound flight.

The Department also works with other federal agencies and our foreign partners to try to prevent possible terrorists from obtaining boarding passes. These include the application of the No-Fly List and the implementation of Secure Flight program, which I explain below.

Pre-departure screening

As another layer of defense, DHS conducts pre-departure passenger screening in partnership with the airline industry and foreign governments in order to prevent known or suspected terrorists from boarding a plane bound for the United States or, as appropriate, to identify them for additional screening. DHS uses TSDB data, managed by the Terrorist Screening Center that is administered by the FBI, to determine who may board, who requires further screening and investigation, who should not be admitted, or who should be referred to appropriate law enforcement personnel.

Specifically, to help make these determinations, DHS uses the No-Fly List and the Selectee List, two important subsets within the TSDB. Individuals on the No-Fly List should not receive a boarding pass for a flight to, from, over, or within the United States. Individuals on the Selectee List must go through additional security measures, including a full-body pat-down and a full physical examination of personal effects.

Through the Secure Flight Program, the Department is making an important change to the process of matching passenger identities against the No-Fly List and Selectee List, and fulfilling an important recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. Previously, responsibility for checking passenger manifests against these lists rested with the air carriers themselves. Under the Secure Flight program, DHS began to transfer this responsibility to TSA in 2009, and the transition is targeted for completion by the end of this year. In addition to creating a more consistent matching process for all domestic and international travel to the United States and strengthening the effectiveness of redress in preventing misidentifications, Secure Flight will flag potential watchlist matches and immediately trigger law enforcement notification and coordination.

As an additional layer of security, DHS also uses the Passenger Name Record (PNR), the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS), and the Immigration Advisory Program (IAP) to assess a passenger’s level of risk and, when necessary, flag them for further inspection. PNR data, obtained from the airline reservations systems, contains various elements, which may include optional information on itinerary, co-travelers, changes to the reservation, and payment information. PNR data is evaluated against “targeting rules” that are based on law enforcement data, intelligence and past case experience. APIS data, which carriers are required to provide to DHS at least 30 minutes before a flight, contains important identifying information that may not be included in PNR data, including verified identity and travel document information such as a traveler’s date of birth, citizenship, and travel document number. DHS screens APIS information on international flights to or from the United States against the TSDB, as well as against criminal history information, records of lost or stolen passports, and prior immigration or customs violations. APIS is also connected to Interpol’s lost and stolen passport database for routine queries on all inbound international travelers.

Another layer in the screening process is the Immigration Advisory Program (IAP). The CBP officers stationed overseas under the IAP program at nine airports in seven countries receive referrals from CBP screening against the TSDB, of which the No Fly list is a subset. IAP officers can make “no board” recommendations to carriers and host governments regarding passengers bound for the United States who may constitute security risks, but do not have the authority to arrest, detain, or prevent passengers from boarding planes.

Checkpoint screenings and in-flight security

The third layer of defense for air travel in which DHS plays a role is the screening of passengers and their baggage. TSA screens passengers and baggage at airports in the United States, but not in other countries. When a traveler at a foreign airport is physically screened, that screening is conducted by the foreign government, air carriers, or the respective airport authority.

Domestically, TSA employs a layered approach to security, which includes measures both seen and unseen by travelers. The 48,000 Transportation Security Officers at hundreds of airports across the country screen passengers and their baggage using advanced technology x-ray systems, walk-through metal detectors, explosive trace detection equipment, trained canines, vapor trace machines that detect liquid explosives, Advanced Imaging Technology, full-body pat-downs, explosives detection systems, Bomb Appraisal Officers, and Behavior Detection Officers – both at the checkpoint and throughout the airport. Through programs such as the Aviation Direct Access Screening Program, TSA also uses random and unpredictable measures to enhance security throughout the airport perimeter and in limited access areas of airports. The $1 billion in Recovery Act funds provided to TSA for checkpoint and checked baggage screening technology have enabled TSA to greatly accelerate deployment of these critical tools to keep passengers safe.

In an effort to enhance international screening standards, TSA conducts security assessments in accordance with security standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at more than 300 foreign airports, which include foreign airports from which flights operate directly to the United States and all airports from which U.S. air carriers operate. If an airport does not meet these standards, TSA works with the host government to rectify the deficiencies and raise airport security to an acceptable level. Ultimately, it is the foreign government that must work to address these security issues. In long-term circumstances of non-compliance with international standards, TSA may recommend suspension of flight service from these airports to the United States. In addition, TSA inspects all U.S. and foreign air carriers that fly to the United States from each airport to ensure compliance with TSA standards and directives. Should air carrier security deficiencies exist, TSA works with the air carrier to raise compliance to an acceptable level. If an airport is located within one of the 35 VWP countries, DHS conducts additional audits and inspections as part of the statutorily mandated VWP designation and review process.

In terms of in-flight security, Federal Air Marshals (FAM) are deployed on high-risk domestic and international flights where international partners allow FAMs to enter their country on U.S.-flagged carriers. Thousands more volunteer pilots serve as armed, deputized Federal Flight Deck Officers. Additionally, armed law enforcement officers from federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies that have a need to fly armed provide a force multiplier on many flights.

DHS Response to the Christmas Day Attack

The facts of the Christmas Day attempted bombing are well established and were relayed in the report on the incident that the President released on January 7, 2010. On December 16, 2009, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian national, purchased a round-trip ticket from Lagos, Nigeria to Detroit. Abdulmutallab went through physical security screening conducted by foreign airport personnel at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on December 24 prior to boarding a flight to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. This physical screening included an x-ray of his carry-on luggage and his passing through a walk-through metal detector. Abdulmutallab went through additional physical screening, conducted by Dutch authorities, when transiting through Amsterdam to Northwest Flight 253 to Detroit, and presented a valid U.S. visa. Abdulmutallab was not on the No Fly or Selectee Lists. Accordingly, the carrier was not alerted to prevent him from boarding the flight or additional physical screening, nor did the IAP officer advise Dutch authorities of any concerns. As with all passengers traveling on that flight, and similar to all other international flights arriving in the United States, CBP evaluated Abdulmutallab’s information while the flight was en route to conduct a preliminary assessment of his admissibility and to determine whether there were requirements for additional inspection. During this assessment, CBP noted that there was a record that had been received from the Department of State, which indicated possible extremist ties. It did not indicate that he had been found to be a threat, or that his visa had been revoked. CBP officers in Detroit were prepared to meet Abdulmutallab upon his arrival for further interview and inspection. The attack on board the flight failed in no small part due to the brave actions of the crew and passengers aboard the plane.

Immediate DHS response

Following the first reports of an attempted terrorist attack on Northwest Flight 253 on December 25, DHS immediately put in place additional security measures. TSA directed the Federal Aviation Administration to apprise 128 U.S.-bound international flights from Europe of the attempted attack and to ask them to maintain heightened vigilance on their flights. Increased security measures were put in place at domestic airports, including additional explosive detection canine teams, state and local law enforcement, expanded presence of Behavior Detection Officers, and enhanced screening. That evening, DHS issued a security directive for all international flights to the U.S., which mandated enhanced screening prior to departure and additional security measures during flight.

From the first hours following the attempted attack, I worked closely with the President, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan, senior Department leadership, and agencies across the federal government. I communicated with international partners, members of Congress, state and local leadership and the aviation industry and met with national security experts on counterterrorism and aviation security. The results of these communications culminated in two reports to the President: one on New Year’s Eve and the second on January 2, 2010.

One of our most important conclusions was that it is now clearer than ever that air travel security is an international responsibility. Indeed, passengers from 17 countries were aboard Flight 253. Accordingly, DHS has embarked upon an aggressive international program designed to raise international standards for airports and air safety. On January 3, 2010, I dispatched Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute and Assistant Secretary for Policy David Heyman to Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and South America to meet with international leadership on aviation security. In these meetings, they reviewed security procedures and technology being used to screen passengers on U.S.-bound flights and worked on ways to bolster our collective tactics for defeating terrorists. This afternoon, I am traveling to Spain to meet with my European Union counterparts in the first of a series of global meetings intended to bring about broad consensus on new, stronger, and more consistent international aviation security standards and procedures.

In addition to these efforts, the Department has been in close contact with Congress, our international partners, the aviation industry and state and local officials across the country since the afternoon of the attempted attack. On December 25, the Department issued a joint bulletin with the FBI to state and local law enforcement throughout the nation; conducted calls with major airlines and the Air Transport Association; distributed the FBI-DHS joint bulletin to all Homeland Security Advisors, regional fusion center directors and Major City Homeland Security Points of Contact in the country; and notified foreign air carriers with flights to and from the United States of the additional security requirements. DHS has maintained close contact with all of these partners since the attempted attack, and will continue to do so.

On January 3, TSA issued a new Security Directive, effective on January 4, which includes long-term, sustainable security measures developed in consultation with law enforcement officials and our domestic and international partners. Because effective aviation security must begin beyond our borders, this Security Directive mandates that every individual flying into the U.S. from anywhere in the world traveling from or through nations that are state sponsors of terrorism 3 or other countries of interest will be required to go through enhanced screening. The directive also increases the use of enhanced screening technologies and mandates threat-based and random additional screening for passengers on U.S. bound international flights. These measures are being implemented with extraordinary cooperation from our global aviation partners.

Steps Forward to Improve Aviation Security

While these immediate steps helped strengthen our security posture to face current threats to our country, as President Obama has made clear, we need to take additional actions to address the systemic vulnerabilities highlighted by this failed attack. On January 7, I joined Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security John Brennan to announce five recommendations DHS made to the President as a result of the security reviews ordered by President Obama. At the President’s direction, DHS will pursue these five objectives to enhance the protection of air travel from acts of terrorism.

First, DHS will work with our interagency partners to re-evaluate and modify the criteria and process used to create terrorist watchlist, including adjusting the process by which names are added to the No-Fly and Selectee Lists. The Department’s ability to prevent terrorists from boarding flights to the United States depends upon these lists and the criteria used to create them. As an entity that is primarily a consumer of this intelligence and the operator of programs that rely on these lists, the Department will work closely with our partners in the Intelligence Community to make clear the kind of information DHS needs from the watchlist system.

Second, DHS will establish a partnership on aviation security with the Department of Energy and its National Laboratories in order to use their expertise to bolster our security. This new partnership will work to develop new and more effective technologies that deter and disrupt known threats, as well as anticipate and protect against new ways that terrorists could seek to board an aircraft with dangerous materials.

Third, DHS will accelerate deployment of Advanced Imaging Technology to provide capabilities to identify materials such as those used in the attempted December 25 attack, and we will encourage foreign aviation security authorities to do the same. TSA currently has 40 machines deployed at nineteen airports throughout the United States, and plans to deploy at least 450 additional units in 2010. DHS will also seek to increase our assets in the area of explosives-trained canines, explosives detection equipment, and other security personnel.

Fourth, DHS will strengthen the presence and capacity of aviation law enforcement. As an interim measure, we will deploy law enforcement officers from across DHS to serve as Federal Air Marshals to increase security aboard U.S.-flag carriers’ international flights. At the same time, we will maintain the current tempo of operations to support high-risk domestic flights, as we look to longer-term solutions to enhance the training and workforce of the Federal Air Marshal Service.

Fifth, as mentioned earlier, DHS will work with international partners to strengthen international security measures and standards for aviation security. Much of our success in ensuring that terrorists do not board flights to the United States is dependent on what happens in foreign airports and the commitments of our foreign partners to enhance security – not just for Americans, but also for their nationals traveling to this country.

In all of these action areas to bolster aviation security, we are moving forward with a dedication to safeguard the privacy and rights of travelers.

Conclusion

The attempted attack on Christmas Day serves as a stark reminder that terrorists motivated by violent extremist beliefs are determined to attack the United States. President Obama has made clear that we will be unrelenting in using every element of our national power in our efforts around the world to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-Qaeda and other violent extremists.

While we address the circumstances behind this specific incident, we must also recognize the evolving threats posed by terrorists, and take action to ensure that our defenses continue to evolve in order to defeat them. We live in a world of ever-changing risks, and we must move as aggressively as possible both to find and fix security flaws and anticipate future vulnerabilities in all sectors. President Obama has clearly communicated the urgency of this task, and the American people rightfully expect swift action. DHS and our federal partners are moving quickly to provide just that.

I wish I could close by giving you a 100 percent guarantee that no terrorist, ever, will try to take down a plane or attack us in some other fashion. I cannot give you such a guarantee; that is not the nature of the world we live in, nor of the threats that we face. What I can give you, however, is the 100 percent commitment of myself, DHS leadership, and the entire DHS enterprise to do everything we can to minimize the risk of terrorist attacks.

Chairman Lieberman, Senator Collins, and members of the Committee: Thank you for this opportunity to testify. I can now answer your questions.

1 The 35 countries in the Visa Waiver Program are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (for the U.K., only citizens with an unrestricted right of permanent abode in the U.K. are eligible for VWP travel authorizations).

2 Exceptions would be citizens of countries under other visa waiver authority such as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative or the separate visa waiver program for Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or those granted individual waivers of the visa requirement under the immigration laws.

3 The State Department currently lists Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria as state sponsors of terrorism.

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Janet Napolitano, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security

Secretary Napolitano to Discuss Ways to Bolster Global Aviation Security with International Partners in Spain and Switzerland

Release Date: January 12, 2010

For Immediate Release

Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano will travel to Toledo, Spain, on Jan. 21, at the invitation of her Spanish colleague, Interior Minister Alfredo Rubalcaba, to meet with her European counterparts to discuss ways to bolster international security measures and standards for aviation security.

Secretary Napolitano will then travel to Geneva, Switzerland, on Jan. 22 to meet with members of the International Air Transport Association—which represents approximately 230 airlines and more than 90 percent of the world’s air traffic—as part of the Department’s efforts to work with the airline industry to ensure all flights to the U.S. meet both international and U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security standards.

Secretary Napolitano’s trip represents the first of a series of global meetings intended to bring about broad consensus on new international aviation security standards and procedures. Because TSA does not conduct screening at foreign airports, Secretary Napolitano is committed to strengthening coordination with international partners to implement stronger and more effective measures to protect air travel.

Last week, Secretary Napolitano dispatched Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute, Assistant Secretary for Policy David Heyman and other senior Department officials to meet with government leaders and major international airport executives in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and South America to review security procedures and technology being used to screen passengers on U.S.-bound flights and work on ways to collectively bolster tactics for defeating terrorists.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.

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