Israeli Experts Help LAX on Airport Security
Xinhua | Oct. 20, 2006
Israeli security experts have offered advice to local Los Angeles aviation officials on how to fortify the city's main airport, Los Angeles International Airport(LAX), against terrorist attacks, a newspaper report said on October 20.
Three security experts gave a preliminary assessment of vulnerabilities at LAX to local experts after a 3 1/2 -day tour, during which they examined terminals, the airfield and the perimeter, according to the Los Angeles Times.
But details of the report would not be made public for security reasons, said the paper.
"They had a half-dozen suggestions; some of them are very low tech, some of them are very high tech," Airport Commission President Alan Rothenberg was quoted as saying.
The three experts work at the Israeli Ben-Gurion International Airport which serves as a good example in terms of airport security.
Some of their suggestions would be easy for the city's airport agency to implement itself, but others would require assistance from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Rothenberg added.
The visit represents the latest effort by city officials to upgrade security at LAX, which is considered U.S.'s No. 1 terrorist target and has been singled out by the Al-Qaida network.
"It's unprecedented to see a team from Israel and a team from the United States sitting down together and sharing knowledge," said Ehud Danoch, the consul general of Israel in Los Angeles.
Israeli airport security is recognized throughout the world as the gold standard, known for employing fortification and behavioral recognition tactics to keep terrorists off balance.