Napolitano announces tougher cargo security rules for passenger airlines

The U.S. has implemented tougher security measures for cargo
onboard passenger jets in the wake of a terrorist bomb plot that originated in
Yemen, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Monday in a statement.

Under the new rules, the U.S. has extended its ban of
inbound cargo coming from Yemen to include cargo en route from Somalia. Any
cargo deemed “high-risk” will be barred, including toner and ink cartridges that weigh more than 16 ounces in both carry-on bags and checked bags on domestic and international
flights bound for the United States.

{mosads}Cargo identified as “high-risk” will be subject to
additional screening; international mail packages will be screened individually
and must be certified to have come from an established postal shipper.

The Obama administration is working with the airline
industry on a plan to provide cargo manifests to authorities more quickly in order to
allow additional time to review the contents of shipments before a plane’s arrival
to the U.S., Napolitano said.

“As always, the safety and security of the American public
is our highest priority,” Napolitano said in a statement. “The threats of terrorism
we face are serious and evolving, and these security measures reflect our
commitment to using current intelligence to stay ahead of adversaries — working
closely with our international, federal, state, local and private-sector
partners every step of the way.”

“We encourage our partners, as well as our citizens, to
remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement authorities,”
she added.

U.S., Yemeni and European investigators are working together
to uncover more details of a narrowly averted bombing plot last month that
sparked an international scare. Two packages addressed to Chicago synagogues
containing the explosive pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) hidden in printer ink cartridges were uncovered
Oct. 28 in Dubai and Britain’s East Midlands Airport.

Al Qaeda’s wing in Yemen on Friday claimed responsibility
for the parcel bomb threat. French officials have said one of the bombs was just
17 minutes from exploding, although U.S. officials have not confirmed that account.