HIGHER SECURITY AT AIRPORTS – AT 7:48 A.M. ET:  In response to the Times Square bomb, which clearly had potential for enormous damage, security is being stepped up at airports.  From CNN:

The Transportation Security Administration on Sunday ramped up security screening at airports along the East Coast after an attempted car bombing a day earlier in New York's Times Square, a Department of Homeland Security official said.

The official told CNN the TSA has begun operations to counter potential car bombs, or "vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices," as well as taking measures to prevent other kinds of terrorist acts that might occur in crowded public spaces.

The TSA also is coordinating with Customs and Border Protection to facilitate additional secondary passenger screening on both domestic and international flights, the official said.

Officials in Washington participated in a call with top TSA officials at airports in New York, Boston and Philadelphia to talk about partnering with Customs to identify flights that might need more random screening, the official said.

COMMENT:  This new security upgrade may reflect the fact that, on June 30, 2007, a car carrying a propane bomb was driven into the glass doors of Glasgow International Airport and set ablaze.  The bomb found in Times Square over the weekend was similar in construction. 

How much longer will we be lucky?

May 3, 2010