US President George W. Bush unveiled plans yesterday to call up National Guard troops to tighten security at US airports and to spend US$500 million to make cockpits more secure after the Sept. 11 hijack attacks.
The White House said Bush would expand the sky marshal program of armed federal agents on commercial flights and would work with Congress to put the federal government in charge of airport security.
"The president will help ensure that every airport has a strong security presence by asking the governors of the 50 states to call up the National Guard ... to augment existing security staff at every commercial airport nationwide," the White House said in a statement.
On a visit to Chicago's O'Hare Airport, one of the world's busiest, Bush was to outline the new safety proposals aimed at closing the gaps laid bare by the Sept. 11 assaults in which two hijacked commercial planes were crashed into the World Trade Center in New York, a third into the Pentagon outside Washington and a fourth into a rural area of Pennsylvania.
Almost 7,000 people were dead or missing in the attacks, which have left many Americans afraid to fly.
"One of my concerns is that this terrible incident has led to many Americans staying at home," Bush said on Wednesday. "One of the keys to economic recovery is going to be the vitality of the airline industry."
In a fact sheet released ahead of Bush's visit, the White House said he would set aside US$500 million to make cockpits more secure and to ensure the transponder that signals the airline's whereabouts would work even in an emergency.
It also said Bush would work with Congress to put the federal government in charge of airport security and screening services.
Among other things, the government will set new standards for airport security, supervise passenger and baggage security, test, train and carry out background checks on security personnel and oversee patrolling of secure airport areas.
US officials said the president opposed arming pilots and Bush himself on Wednesday cast doubt on a proposal circulating on Capitol Hill to allow pilots to have weapons in the cockpit.
RSS