US Weighing Concerns over New Airport Security Procedures

The U.S. government is said to be looking into the concerns of airplane travelers over new screening procedures that have produced a national outcry.

The procedures involve the use of full-body scanners, and thorough pat-down searches for passengers who refused to be scanned.

A White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs,told reporters Monday that the goal is to maximize security and minimize inconvenience and invasiveness. He said al-Qaida operatives seek to do harm through devices concealed on a body or in luggage put aboard airplanes.

Gibbs noted that the new procedures are currently in place at only 69 out of the nearly 450 airports across the United States.

The head of the Transportation Security Administration, John Pistole, said less invasive ways to achieve the same type of screening are being examined. But he said no changes will take place in the immediate future.

Pistole is urging airline travelers not to engage in boycotts or other delaying tactics at airports as the country faces the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and the busiest travel day of the year on Wednesday.

He was joined in his appeal by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who also called on travelers to be vigilant and to report suspicious activity.

A loosely organized Internet campaign has been launched. Called “National Opt-Out Day,” it is calling on airline travelers to refuse the body scan on Wednesday, which Pistole points out will only delay people trying to get together with family members for Thanksgiving.

Some information in this story was provided by AFP.