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Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: CountofMoneyCristo who wrote (8345)	10/23/2001 8:17:02 AM
From: Zoltan!	Respond to of 27714

Fox got it correct. I guess you didn't realize it, but ...Western European countries started privatizing airport security in the early 1990s after spectacular security failures with government-run operations. The governments set standards but left it to the privately run airports to decide exactly how to meet the standards. Private security is not just limited to screening passengers and their baggage. In Britain, for example, private companies also provide gate, aircraft and catering security, as well as crew screening. Similar arrangements exist at such high-risk airports as Amsterdam, Belfast, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Paris. At Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, government involvement is more extensive, providing training and controlling access to the tarmac and other sensitive areas. Still, a private company conducts pre-boarding screening and other security operations. What is startling is how the drop-off in hijackings corresponds with the privatization of these services. There were 21 hijackings in Europe during the 1970s, 16 during the 1980s but only four during the 1990s. Out of these 41 hijackings, only three originated from airports with private security... ...Many airlines are losing tens of millions of dollars each day. If they are to survive, people's fear of flying must be dealt with quickly. An airline safety bill that creates one government agency to operate security has passed the Senate and is moving to the House. That solution would eliminate competition that could create innovative ways to protect passengers. In their rush, senators re-created Western Europe's painful mistakes. Europe learned the hard way that some things are better run by the private sector. If these provisions in the Senate bill become law, the U.S. will be modeling its air security system after the post office. latimes.com