Posted on 02/08/2007 8:29:45 PM PST by neverdem
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is trying to expand a program allowing airline pilots to carry weapons to include international flights.
The program -- begun four years ago in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, airline hijackings -- allows pilots to carry weapons only in the cockpit. It is operated by the Federal Air Marshals Service, which also has armed air marshals as passengers on both domestic and international flights.
"It's obvious that there's a threat internationally," Conan Bruce, a spokesman for the Air Marshals Service told USA Today.
A number of other groups -- including the Federal Flight Deck Officers Association -- want to expand the program to international flights, and to encourage more pilots to participate. Those who do must go through a week's training.
Critics say the best protection for pilots and passengers is to keep hijackers out of the cockpit.
"If you're sitting in the flight deck and they get through, you have no time to do anything with a weapon," said Rich Roth, an airline security expert.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
Airline security expert? It will take time to get through that door and if your cabin crew is paying attention you will get even more warning. This expert is an idiot.
to heck with the pilots. arm the passengers!
terrorists normally begin by sitting in the passenger compartment.
Rich-Roth is an asshole! ............ FRegards
Why not have two weapons on the flight deck?
Furthermore, if passengers with CCW were carrying, I'd rather have a shoot out with the bad guys than have a plane fly into another building in which case, they'd all be dead anyway.
The panty-waste, liberal, anti-gun wimps better WTFU.
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