On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 07:33:18 -0800, "C J Campbell"
wrote in
::


It would be interesting to know precisely what "officials" said this, but
the article refers to them only as "officials" throughout.

For those who care to read more about this without divulging their
personal information to the NY Times, here are the more important
parts of the article:



http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/14/po.../14terror.html
Government Report on U.S. Aviation Warns of Security Holes
By ERIC LICHTBLAU

Published: March 14, 2005


ASHINGTON, March 13 - Despite a huge investment in security, the
American aviation system remains vulnerable to attack by Al Qaeda and
other jihadist terrorist groups, with noncommercial planes and
helicopters offering terrorists particularly tempting targets, a
confidential government report concludes.

Intelligence indicates that Al Qaeda may have discussed plans to
hijack chartered planes, helicopters and other general aviation
aircraft for attacks because they are less well-guarded than
commercial airliners, according to a previously undisclosed 24-page
special assessment on aviation security by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security two weeks ago.

....

While Homeland Security and the F.B.I. routinely put out advisories on
aviation issues, the special joint assessment is an effort to give a
broader picture of the state of knowledge of all issues affecting
aviation security, officials said.

The analysis appears to rely on intelligence gathered from sources
overseas and elsewhere about Al Qaeda and other jihadist and
Islamic-based terrorist groups.

A separate report issued last month by Homeland Security concluded
that developing a clear framework for prioritizing possible targets -
a task many Democrats say has lagged - is critical because "it is
impossible to protect all of the infrastructure sectors equally across
the entire United States."

The aviation sector has received the majority of domestic security
investments since the Sept. 11 attacks, with more than $12 billion
spent on upgrades like devices to detect explosives, armored cockpit
doors, federalized air screeners and additional air marshals.

Indeed, some members of Congress and security experts now consider
airplanes to be so well fortified that they say it is time to shift
resources to other vulnerable sectors, like ports and power plants.

....

Still, the new aviation assessment, examining dozens of airline
incidents both before and after the Sept. 11 attacks, makes clear that
counterterrorism officials still consider the aviation industry to be
perhaps the prime target for another major attack because of the
spectacular nature of such strikes.

The assessment, which showed that the F.B.I. handled more than 500
criminal investigations involving aircraft in 2003, will likely serve
as a guide for considering further security restrictions in general
aviation and other areas considered particularly vulnerable, the
officials said.

The report, dated Feb. 25, was distributed internally to federal and
state counterterrorism and aviation officials, and a copy was obtained
by The Times. It warns that security upgrades since the Sept. 11
attacks have "reduced, but not eliminated" the prospect of similar
attacks.

"Spectacular terrorist attacks can generate an outpouring of support
for the perpetrators from sympathizers and terrorism sponsors with
similar agendas," the report said. "The public fear resulting from a
terrorist hijacking or aircraft bombing also serves as a powerful
motivator for groups seeking to further their causes."

The report detailed particular vulnerabilities in what it called "the
largely unregulated" area of general aviation, which includes
corporate jets, private planes and other unscheduled aircraft.

"As security measures improve at large commercial airports, terrorists
may choose to rent or steal general aviation aircraft housed at small
airports with little or no security," the report said.