Airport security stepped up in Britain over bomb plot fears...How 'Safe' is the staff working at Airports? (Guardian).
Security at UK airports is to be tightened after US officials raised fears about terrorists in Syria and Yemen developing explosives that could be smuggled on to planes.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said on Wednesday night that it would "step up some of our aviation security measures" following the warning from US security chiefs.
US officials told Reuters that security at European airports would be increased following intelligence that al-Qaida operatives in Syria and Yemen had joined forces to develop bombs that would avoid detection and bring down aircraft.
The US did not specify which airports or countries would be affected, nor did it say what triggered the extra precautions.
The US department of homeland security said "enhanced security measures" would be implemented in the next few days at "certain overseas airports with direct flights into the United States".
The department secretary, Jeh Johnson, said: "We are sharing recent and relevant information with our foreign allies and are consulting the aviation industry."
US intelligence believes extremists in Syria and Yemen have been in contact to develop bombs that escape heightened security measures, although they do not have specific intelligence about an imminent attack or specific plot emanating from the suspected collaboration.
Some in the US intelligence community also believe that "training complexes" have been set up in Syria for western jihadists so they can return to their home countries better trained to carry out attacks.
While that conclusion is the subject of debate, it shows the level of fear counter-terrorism officials have about the threat posed by violent jihadists from Syria – now considered to be the main one facing the west.
Intelligence is reported to suggest bomb makers from Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian peninsula (AQAP) have travelled to Syria to meet al-Qaida-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra to work on ways to get an explosive device past existing security.Read the full story here.
Hmmmm.....I've said it before and i'll say it again, in my point of view the WEAKEST link is the staff working all over airports.
If you see the number of would be jihadis that left for Syria then what's stopping one or more Islamic staff members at European airports to Aid or organise an explosive device on a plane?
If you take in account the drugs that are smuggled by airport staff the possibility becomes very real. Time to rethink the safety procedures.