Anger at new US security initiative

Plans to station American security guards at British airports have been met with an angry reaction from the Government and pilots’ unions. The US Customs service yesterday announced that is wants to put teams of its own agents at airports around the world, to screen passengers boarding flights to the United States. The scheme is being promoted as voluntary; according to the Daily Mail, the head of the US Customs service Robert Bonner said: “Nobody has to participate in these things – unless they find it in their interests to provide better security.” But the plans have gone down less than well in the UK. The Department of Transport reportedly issued the following statement: “We will not negotiate over the sovereignty of UK airports,” while the reaction from the pilots’ union Balpa was more critical. Jim McAuslan, general secretary of the union, is quoted as saying: “The way in which the US announces these initiatives makes you wonder if they are serious about gaining support in the fight against terrorism. This idea feels like a violation of UK security. I wonder how the US would react if Britain insisted on having British officers in American airports checking their passengers.” Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad