Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Chicago-area consultant, along with other experts, raised alarms about sloppy airport security before 9/11

wbez.org · 4dShare

In the 25 years since the 9/11 terror attacks, there’s been considerable examination of how they could have been prevented. What if our intelligence agencies had communicated with each other better? What if our foreign policy in the Middle East had been different? What if warning signs were taken more seriously? What if the U.S. had succeeded in capturing or killing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in the 1990s? Not to be overlooked: just how porous the front line security was at U.S. airports — along with weak security oversight by the federal government that allowed the airlines to handle screening with low-cost contractors and few prohibitions on what’s in purses, pockets and carry-ons. After all, certain knives and blades were legally allowed on commercial aircraft at the time — and al-Qaeda terrorists took full advantage of that loophole by using box cutters to overtake the crew and passengers on flights they hijacked. But had decision makers taken heed from a once-confidential sec

First report: Chicago-area consultant, along with other experts, raised alarms about sloppy airport security before 9/11 — suntimes.com, 4d