Posted on 01/25/2011 4:25:57 AM PST by BulletBobCo
London -- Airports around the world are likely to boost security checks in the wake of Monday's deadly bombing in Moscow, experts say.
The blast, at the city's Domodedovo Airport, killed at least 35 people and left more than 100 wounded, several critically.
Experts say it is significant that those who masterminded the attack chose to bomb the arrivals hall of the airport -- Moscow's busiest -- because it was an easier target than the heavily-policed departures area.
"Arrivals has always been thought of as the 'soft' area of an airport," explained CNN's Richard Quest.
"Nobody is flying anywhere, the baggage has all been screened, because it has been on planes already, and crucially, people are leaving the airport. It's very rare that you ever saw somebody carrying a bag in to arrivals."
Security analyst Will Geddes told CNN: "The arrivals area is generally less secure .You have a large proportion of members of the public, people meeting friends and family.
"And whereas departures is spread out, with lots of check-in desks, baggage reclaim is slap bang in the middle of the arrivals hall, with the greatest concentration of people around it."
(Snip)
And Quest said airports may begin screening people who come to meet friends and family at arrivals.
"What will happen is that the barrier will get further and further back, so no longer is it just at departures, but at the airport door, or in some cases on the road as you drive up to the terminal.
"In some places, like at Ben Gurion in Israel, you have a security checkpoint way down the road, even before you get to the terminal. That is going to be the future."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Ever see the security line at any major airport on a Friday afternoon?
No matter how far back you move the security screeners, there will always be a “pinch point” where people waiting to get through will congregate. It will always be a soft target.
I’m surprised it hasn’t happened before.
Will this terrorist act cause Russia now to rethink its policy toward Iran and stop being its enabler?
One can only hope.
All the security checks, groping and scanners in the world won’t stop them. You’ve got to take out the terrorists. And I don’t mean putting them in jail. They’re beyond “rehab”.
I was expecting it to be the lead story last night, but nope, it was about Gabby.
Any place where 50 or more people are gathered or waiting in line is vulerable - especially the ‘snaked’ lines that result in people being condensed into a smaller space.
I thought about that when they built the new terminal at DTW - how hard can it be to instill terror amongst travelers
“Will this terrorist act cause Russia now to rethink its policy toward Iran and stop being its enabler?”
No, why should it?
Russia’s internal politics should become much more civil now, as a result of this terrible accident.
Exactly, unlike 10 year ago I choose to use a car to travel up to 600 miles.
This is not the first terrorist attack on passengers waiting to go through security. In 1972, a terrorist attack at the Lod Airport in Israel killed 26 people and injured 80. The Israelis learned from this attack and now screen arriving passengers entering the airport. I have long thought that he long lines at TSA screening points would be an ideal target for terrorists.
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