US Air Security

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/31/dutch-hold-yemenis-terrorism-suspicion
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0901/1224277972587.html

米国の航空保安､行政に関する最近の記事から､オバマ大統領が昨年のクリスマス･テロ未遂事件後の発した"Systemic Failure"という言葉を思い出しました｡空港でチェックイン後の全身スキャナーや貨物のスクリーニング､入国時の指紋採取など､議論は多いものの､テロ対策の必要性は認めます｡ですが､米国の航空保安行政の組織的､構造的問題も同時に解決することが急がれるのではないでしょうか｡無数の国際線が離着陸するアメリカ全土の空港におけるテロへの脆弱性は､国土安全保障上だけではなく､国際的な影響も大きいのは自明の理だからです｡この際､TSA(Transportion Security Administration=運輸保安庁)とFAA(Federal Aviation Agency=連邦航空局)を統合するなどして､機能強化を図ったらどうでしょうか｡TSAを傘下に収めるUSDHS(US Department of Homeland Security=国土安全保障省)のある職員は､2008年に行った筆者のアンケート取材に対し､｢DHSは役所として大きすぎる｡いずれ解体されるべきだ｣などとコメントしてくれました｡

The two articles relating to the US air security and administration remind you of the President Obama's comment "Systemic Failure" which he criticizsed intelligence community of not having shared information enough at the Chrismas day terrorism attack in 2009. Although it is still contraversial that scanning body of traveler, screening cargo and matching finger prints with terrorist list, you cannot deny the necessity of counter-terrorism measures at an airport. In additon, US government must rush to resolve the systemic and organizational problem of air security and administration simultaneously. Their vulnerability to terrorism is very crucial not only for US homeland but for interntional security, because numberless flights are flying in and out from US airports. Here is one proposal: How about integrating TSA and FAA in order to enhance their functioning and capability of counter-terrorism? An official of DHS which exercises jurisdiciton over FAA gave a comment in author's survey interview in 2008 that DHS is too huge to perform effectively and therefore DHS should be dismantled and downsized in the future.