AIR FARCE ONE
newsoftheworld.co.uk
SECURITY around President Clinton’s Air Force One jet was so lax at Birmingham Airport this week that even an impostor with a home-made ID card could walk up to it.
I know, because it was me. I was also wearing the uniform I bought from BA for £140 after I walked in off the street.
More importantly I carried a bag big enough to conceal a grenade — and there I was within throwing distance of one of the greatest terrorist targets on Earth.
Yesterday the British and American governments were aghast that airport bigwigs had failed to learn any lessons from the last time the News of the World exposed their shoddy procedures.
President Clinton, pictured right leaving the official plane with Hilary and Chelsea, was told and a White House spokesman said: “It is being investigated by the secret service.”
Meanwhile, John Prescott’s Department of Transport — responsible for all British airport security — promised “an investigation with a view to disciplinary action”.
News of the World readers will recall that, last month, I used the same uniform and an ID I bought for £10 by mail order to gain entry to Birmingham and Gatwick and expose gaping holes in safety procedures.
Following that front page story the government thanked the News of the World, ordered an immediate inquiry and vowed to tighten security.
Clearly that wasn’t working at Birmingham. On Thursday this week I dusted down my uniform.
I had already handed back my pass but kept a copy on an Apple Mac computer so I just printed another out and put it between two sheets of clear plastic.
Any terrorist could have done it. Though I thought security staff might notice the word ‘Kodak’ on the back of the photographic paper I used!
I made for the same checkpoint at Birmingham International Airport that I’d used before.
Early that afternoon Air Force One had taxied in to the executive terminal...right next to the air cargo terminal where I’d first breached security.
After Clinton had left the airport, I was there again. This time three officers — two male, one female — were at the kiosk. They challenged me as I approached.
The female guard looked at me quizically. “I’m going to Hangar One,” I said, referring to the air cargo terminal.
She asked to see my pass. There had even been a picture of it in the News of the World, but she seemed satisfied.
One of her colleagues chipped in: “I’ll need to see your ID.” He looked at it and said: “OK.”
No one put my bag through a scanner. If they had, they’d have discovered video recording equipment inside.
It could easily have been a more sinister piece of electronics.
In under a minute I was through. Once past the security gate it took me exactly one minute and 20 seconds to walk across the tarmac in the direction of Air Force One. I was within 50 yards of the plane, in full view of the steps leading up to the open door.
Members of the president’s own security staff were dotted around. I decided to wait until the president returned and see what happened.
Finally, as I loitered on the tarmac, I was rumbled not by hi-tech surveillance sytems — but by a News of the World reader!
A Birmingham guard who had read my original story and recognised me from my picture said: “I know who you are.”
If I’d been an anonymous terrorist whose picture had never been in the papers, who knows whether I’d have been stopped or not.
Once I’d been caught, airport police were called in and I was searched. They found the video and I was led away.
When my video was returned it had been edited to cut out scenes of servicemen’s identities and views of Clinton’s personal items being loaded on board.
I told police what I was doing and officers were keen to stress I wasn’t being arrested.
Birmingham International managing director Brian Summers, left, tried to play down the security breach — though he did admit there was LESS security at the terminal our reporter had continued to breach.
Mr Summers said: “The general aviation and hangarage part of Birmingham Airport is operated seperately from the passenger aircraft area - the latter having more stringent security protocol and search procedures.”
He continued to insist: “Both meet DETR requirements.”
This was the airport where, in my previous visit, I had entered a jet and an engineer famously asked: “Do you want me to power her up?” Then he did!
A spokesman for the Department of Transport was forthright this weekend. Apart from pledging a probe, he added: “The department takes any suggestion of security weaknesses very seriously."
Washington insiders say the president's security detail is seething. One told us: “I believe harsh words flew between the secret service and the security people at Birmingham." Mark Conley, of the secret service’s Public Affairs Office said: “We are co-operating with British authorities in investigating how this happened. All the facts of this incident will be thoroughly analysed." |
