TSA Administrator visits Yemen, meets with security officials in Germany
November 4th, 2010 - 3:12 am ICT by BNO NewsWASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) — U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John S. Pistole on Wednesday visited Yemen to meet with government officials including Yemen Deputy Prime Minister Rashad al-Alimi and Civil aviation officials, TSA said.
The TSA Administrator also received briefings from TSA inspectors deployed to Yemen, and toured a cargo facility in Sana’a.
Pistole’s visit came after two bombs were found aboard U.S.-bound cargo jets in England and Dubai on Friday, officials said, sparking an international airline security scare and prompting U.S. authorities to search several planes and increase aviation security.
On Tuesday, Pistole spoke met with international aviation security officials in Frankfurt and signed an international security agreement with Germany.
“We face a determined enemy, one who modifies their actions looking for any opportunity to exploit security. Working closely with counterterrorism officials here and abroad, TSA will continue to use the best intelligence, leverage the latest technology, and remain vigilant to address evolving threats,” said Pistole.
The U.S. banned all air cargo shipments from Yemen to the United States after the plot blamed on Al Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula was discovered. The U.K., France and Germany also banned all freight from Yemen.
In response to Friday’s terror plot, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it will take a number of steps to enhance aviation security.
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- Scotland Yard, TSA and White House statements regarding potential terror plot - Oct 30, 2010
- Plane lands safely at JFK amid global terror alerts - Oct 30, 2010
- Al-Qaida in Yemen "Western-made," says Yemeni PM - Nov 07, 2010
- U.S. bans toner and ink cartridges on passenger planes - Nov 09, 2010
- Suspicious device at Namibia airport was part of U.S. security test - Nov 19, 2010
- Authorities examining suspicious packages on UPS flights in several airports - Oct 29, 2010
- Wikileaks disclose Yemeni President Saleh offered US 'open door' to attack al-Qaida - Dec 04, 2010
- 'Yemen's radioactive products were easy al-Qaeda targets': Wikileaks - Dec 20, 2010
- Nigerian bomber Abdulmutallab joined al-Qaeda in UK - Jan 08, 2010
- Al Qaeda guns down American in Yemen (Lead) - Mar 18, 2012
- Terror plot to bomb US-bound plane foiled (Lead) - May 08, 2012
- Terror bombs were primed to bring down cargo planes in mid-air - Oct 31, 2010
- Yemen bomb went on two passenger jets: Qatar Airways (Lead) - Oct 31, 2010
- Al-Qaeda tried to use explosives-filled dogs to down U.S. cargo plane - Nov 06, 2010
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