US security chief quits following new warning

The head of the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) – the agency responsible for airline security – has quit after just eight months in the job. According to the BBC News website, reporting the story, David Stone is the third person to have resigned from the job since the 11 September 2001 attacks; his resignation comes shortly after the publication of a report that said airliners are still “vulnerable to terrorism” despite the TSA’s best efforts. The BBC states that report said airliners were “likely to remain a target and a platform for terrorists” and that al-Qaeda is determined to “study and test new American security measures to uncover weakness”. The TSA has not reportedly given a reason for Mr Stone’s departure but confirmed that he would remain in his post until June, to “assist with the transition of a successor”. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd www.newsfromabroad.com