Pat-downs to remain for 'foreseeable future' at US airports

Washington, Dec 26 (PTI) The US Homeland Security czar
on Sunday said the controversial full-body scanners and
invasive pat-downs, which had sparked an outrage in India
earlier this month, will remain in place for the "foreseeable
future," at airports around the country.
Asked on CNN's 'State of the Union' programme if
anything is going to change with the pat-down programme,
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said it will not
change for the "foreseeable future."
She underlined that the full-body scanners and
pat-downs will remain in place for the "foreseeable future".
Even as arguing that the new technology and the
pat-downs are safer for the traveling public, the security
czar said she is always looking to improve the security
systems in place.
Some airline passengers and lawmakers have objected to
the new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) policy,
which includes full-body scans and pat-downs.
TSA, under its new policy, must screen airline
passengers using whole-body imaging systems. But passengers
who feel that the scans are too intrusive are permitted to go
through a metal detector or receive a pat-down, which some
have said comes too close to groping.
There was outrage in India when sari-clad Indian
Ambassador to US, Meera Shankar, was pulled out of security
line at Mississippi's Jackson-Evers International Airport
and patted down by an American security agent, despite being
told of her diplomatic status.
Jackson-Evers does not yet have full-body screeners,
which meant that the ambassador became subject to a thorough
pat-down on December 4.
The incident had sparked a diplomatic row and prompted
the Indian mission here to strongly protest. In New Delhi,
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna called the pat-down of
Shankar as "unacceptable" and said the matter would be taken
up with the American government.
The US government expressed regret over the incident,
promised to ensure that it did not recur.
Later, security officials at the Houston Airport in
Texas had asked India's top diplomat to the UN Hardeep Puri, a
turban wearing Sikh, to check his headgear.
However, Puri had downplayed the incident at the
Houston airport, saying he did not allow removal of his turban
nor was he patted down.
According to TSA estimates only 3 per cent of
passengers have been subject to pat-downs, and only after they
have failed a metal detector test or refused to go through a
full-body scanner. PTI RBS
RCJ