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CNN Live Event/Special
FBI Warns Airports Of Possible Terrorist Methods
Aired August 08, 2003 - 19:28 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We told you earlier about the new information about the final moments of Flight 93. But even as we're still learning exactly what happened on September 11, the FBI continues to warn us about how another September 11 might be accomplished. This time the Bureau is warning airport security to watch for a veritable catalog of every day innocuous items that could hide lethal weaponry.
James Hall is the former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, a former member of the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security and joins us from Chattanooga. Thanks for being with us. As we speak, I'm going to show some of these photos in part of this FBI catalog that has gone out on DVD Rom to security screeners of some of the things that could be hidden. I take it you've seen these pictures. How surprised were you by some of these items?
JAMES HALL, FRM. CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: Well, Anderson, I'm just pleased number one ,that the FBI is sharing this information with the gate agents so that they have an idea of, you know, some of the things that they may be having to look for.
COOPER: Are we set up to look for these things now? Are you confident that the screeners we have, the systems we have in place, would find these items?
HALL: Well, obviously this catalog, I believe, has been out for some time, you know. The training of the screeners in terms of particularly looking through the x-ray machines and being able to be look for these specific items is extremely important. I think your viewers can get an appreciation of the, you know, the number of items out there that are extremely dangerous, that are almost James Bond in terms of disguise.
COOPER: There was one and I think we're going to show the picture which basically looks like an innocous can of hair spray. There you go. And it can according to this, could either conceal a weapon in the bottom or even have some sort of a chemical agent inside. I mean, how do you screen against, a chemical agent inside a hairspray bottle?
HALL: Well, obviously you've got to screen. The screeners have to be trained and the screening just needs to be one part of the whole security process which would include profiling and obviously include education with the agents at the gates and the ones responsible for security and the various things to look for.
COOPER: Do you think I mean...
HALL: I think this is -- I think it's very good that this -- you know, that this is on television because I think for the passengers to be aware of the various things that may be out there is also a positive for airport security.
COOPER: Do you think it will change the way -- some of these things you've said have been out there for a while, it's really the first time I'm seeing them do you thing it's going to change the way security is handled or does it increase the vigilance?
HALL: No. I think this has been probably integrated into the training. It is something that when we have times of alert as we do now that there needs to be increased vigilance by everyone. To be sure that none of these items that are so well disguised are able to get on the aircraft.
COOPER: James Hall, appreciate you joining us to look over these picture with us and talk about them. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 8, 2003 - 19:28 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We told you earlier about the new information about the final moments of Flight 93. But even as we're still learning exactly what happened on September 11, the FBI continues to warn us about how another September 11 might be accomplished. This time the Bureau is warning airport security to watch for a veritable catalog of every day innocuous items that could hide lethal weaponry.
James Hall is the former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, a former member of the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security and joins us from Chattanooga. Thanks for being with us. As we speak, I'm going to show some of these photos in part of this FBI catalog that has gone out on DVD Rom to security screeners of some of the things that could be hidden. I take it you've seen these pictures. How surprised were you by some of these items?
JAMES HALL, FRM. CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: Well, Anderson, I'm just pleased number one ,that the FBI is sharing this information with the gate agents so that they have an idea of, you know, some of the things that they may be having to look for.
COOPER: Are we set up to look for these things now? Are you confident that the screeners we have, the systems we have in place, would find these items?
HALL: Well, obviously this catalog, I believe, has been out for some time, you know. The training of the screeners in terms of particularly looking through the x-ray machines and being able to be look for these specific items is extremely important. I think your viewers can get an appreciation of the, you know, the number of items out there that are extremely dangerous, that are almost James Bond in terms of disguise.
COOPER: There was one and I think we're going to show the picture which basically looks like an innocous can of hair spray. There you go. And it can according to this, could either conceal a weapon in the bottom or even have some sort of a chemical agent inside. I mean, how do you screen against, a chemical agent inside a hairspray bottle?
HALL: Well, obviously you've got to screen. The screeners have to be trained and the screening just needs to be one part of the whole security process which would include profiling and obviously include education with the agents at the gates and the ones responsible for security and the various things to look for.
COOPER: Do you think I mean...
HALL: I think this is -- I think it's very good that this -- you know, that this is on television because I think for the passengers to be aware of the various things that may be out there is also a positive for airport security.
COOPER: Do you think it will change the way -- some of these things you've said have been out there for a while, it's really the first time I'm seeing them do you thing it's going to change the way security is handled or does it increase the vigilance?
HALL: No. I think this has been probably integrated into the training. It is something that when we have times of alert as we do now that there needs to be increased vigilance by everyone. To be sure that none of these items that are so well disguised are able to get on the aircraft.
COOPER: James Hall, appreciate you joining us to look over these picture with us and talk about them. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
