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Dutch to Use Full-Body Scanners to Screen Passengers on US Flights

   Selah Hennessy 30 December 2009
   An  employee  of  Schiphol  stands  inside  a  body  scanner  during a
   demonstration  at  a  press briefing at Schiphol airport, Netherlands,
   Monday, Dec. 28, 2009.

Photo: AP

   An  employee  of  Schiphol  stands  inside  a  body  scanner  during a
   demonstration at a press briefing at Schiphol airport, Netherlands, 28
   Dec 2009

   The  interior  minister of the Netherlands says Dutch authorities will
   begin  using  full-body  scanners  within  three  weeks at airports to
   screen passengers flying to the United States.
   The  minister,  Guusje  Ter  Horst, made the announcement Wednesday in
   response  to  the failed bombing of a Detroit-bound aircraft last week
   that left from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.
   On  Tuesday,  U.S.  President  Barack Obama said a  "systemic failure"
   among  U.S.  security  agencies  allowed  the  Christmas  Day  bombing
   attempt.
   Speaking  from  Hawaii,  Mr. Obama said U.S. agencies did not properly
   share  information  after  receiving  warnings  from  the  father of a
   Nigerian  man  suspected  of  trying to destroy the Northwest Airlines
   jet.
   The  president  called  the  security lapse "totally unacceptable" and
   said the U.S. must quickly fix the flaws in its homeland security.  He
   has   ordered   preliminary   investigations   into  the  government's
   intelligence-gathering   and   aviation-screening   initiatives.   The
   results are due Thursday.
   A  senior  Obama administration official later told reporters there is
   "some linkage" between the suspected attacker, 23-year-old Umar Farouk
   Abdulmutallab, and the al-Qaida terrorist network.
   U.S.  news outlets say the intelligence community had information that
   leaders  of  the  network's  Yemeni  branch had communications with an
   unnamed   young  Nigerian  national.   The  information  was  sent  to
   Washington from Yemen before the attempted attack.
   A  group  calling  itself  al-Qaida  in  the Arabian Peninsula claimed
   responsibility  on  Monday  for  the  failed  attack, saying it was in
   retaliation  for  U.S.  support  for  operations  against the group in
   Yemen.
   The  incident  has  sparked  fierce  criticism  from  U.S.  Republican
   lawmakers  over  the  Obama  administration's  anti-terrorism methods.
   Homeland  Security  Secretary Janet Napolitano came under intense fire
   after  she  said  the  security  system  worked  during  the incident.
   Napolitano  later clarified her statement, saying the system worked in
   its response to the attempted bombing.
   Democratic  leaders  have accused Republicans of playing politics with
   the  national  security  issue.   Senate  Majority  Leader  Harry Reid
   criticized  Republican  Senator  Jim  DeMint  for blocking Mr. Obama's
   nominee to head the Transportation Security Administration, the agency
   responsible for airline security.
   DeMint  says  he  has blocked the Senate from voting to confirm Erroll
   Southers  over  concerns  he would allow TSA employees to form a labor
   union.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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