WASHINGTON -- Trying to close some security loopholes, the Dept. of
Homeland Security and the State Dept. Saturday suspended two
programs that enable international passengers to transit through
the U.S. without visas if they are connecting to flights abroad.
"Recent specific intelligence indicates that terrorist groups
have been planning to exploit these transit programs to gain access
to the U.S. or U.S. airspace without going through the consular
screening process," a DHS statement said. "The steps announced
today are designed to augment security against possible terrorist
threats and to protect U.S. citizens and foreign nationals who fly
into and out of the United States."
The suspension of the Transit Without Visa and the
International-To-International transit programs took effect
Saturday at 11 a.m. The suspensions, which are said to have
affected thousands of travelers, did not impact U.S. citizens or
passengers from visa waiver countries.
The suspensions mesh with other steps the State Dept. took to
put tighter controls on the issuance of U.S. visitor visa.
For instance, new regulations went into effect Aug. 1 requiring
U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to conduct -- with
few exceptions--in-person interviews with potential visitors
applying for U.S. visitor visas.
"We've got our national security interest overriding. We've got
to keep our visa regime as secure as possible," a State Dept.
spokesman said.
The Transfer Without Visa program came under new scrutiny
following a recent DHS alert that the intelligence community had
learned terrorist may be planning to enter the U.S. through the
program to launch 9/11-style attacks against U.S. interests.
The DHS shared the information with the airline industry, but so
far it hasn't raised the terrorist threat level, which for past few
months has been yellow, indicating an elevated or significant risk
of terrorist attack.
However, airport baggage screeners have stepped up searches of
luggage and other belongings, including cameras and other small
items that intelligence reports indicate may potentially contain
weapons.
"Nearly every single day, the intelligence community records
another threat or two against America or our interests," said DHS
secretary Tom Ridge in a statement. "Hardly a week goes by that
some terrorists somewhere don't reiterate their interest in
aviation."
In another development, the DHS intends to deploy additional
federal sky marshals, Ridge said.
To contact reporter Michael Milligan, send e-mail to [email protected].