ANGIE LEVINE Los Angeles mayor Jim Hahn
will chair President Bush’s national airport security task
force.
By Maegan Carberry
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Los Angeles mayor Jim Hahn agreed Thursday to serve as chairman
of a nationwide airport security task force that will make
recommendations to the president and Congress regarding airport
security measures within the next few weeks.
After the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington D.C.,
airport security is among the top priorities of government
officials.
“We have to be able to stop anyone from getting on a plane
with a weapon or anything that can be used as a weapon,” Hahn
said.
Earlier in the day, President George W. Bush asked the
nation’s governors to post National Guard troops at airports
as a first step to take federal control of airline security and
coax Americans back into the skies.
Soon after, Gov. Gray Davis said he would call on National Guard
units to protect California airports in response to Bush’s
request.
Bush’s plan envisions stationing 4,000 to 5,000 troops at
the nation’s 420 commercial airports for up to six months
while the federal government prepares to step in, though it stopped
short of assigning federal workers to perform security duties at
airports.
Hahn said in a press conference Thursday that the most important
areas security must take place are in baggage and passenger
checkpoints, and suggested federalization as a possibility.
Both Bush’s and Hahn’s suggestion of federal control
could lead to the government overseeing passenger and baggage
security checks, and performing background checks on security
personnel.
Also among measures the mayor plans to recommend to Washington
are economic relief packages for airports, including bond debt
guarantees, low interest loans and additional grants for increased
security, equipment and personnel. The mayor said that the
committee would be concerned with air transportation employees,
perhaps offering assistance packages to them that would include
addition benefits and transitional training.
A Los Angeles International Airport spokeswoman reacted
positively to the mayor’s appointment.
“We’re very pleased that mayor Hahn was appointed to
lead this task force with the goals of improving aviation security
and passenger confidence, as well as to assist airport
workers,” said Nancy Castle. “We look forward to fully
supporting the efforts of this task force.” But some
expressed concern about heightened airport security. When asked
about possible racial profiling at airports and on airplanes, Hahn
indicated that this practice was inappropriate.
“The events of Sept. 11th were an attack on our freedom,
democracy and liberty,” Hahn said. “We don’t want
to lose those freedoms in our response.”
The mayor expects to make his recommendations on a short time
line.
“This is going to be a fast-track operation. I don’t
know the exact number of days, but I think we’re talking
about in the next few weeks, we need to come up with a package of
recommendations that will deal with the issue of airport security
and look at it from each locality’s own unique needs,”
he said.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said the number of
commercial flights each day has risen to about 5,500, compared with
about 6,500 before the attacks. With the new task force and
Bush’s policies, these numbers are expected to climb back to
normal, bringing new hope to the aviation industry.
With reports from Daily Bruin wire services.