GAO: Congress Nixed Costly Terror Training (air marshals)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051130/ap_on_go_co/air_marshals

WASHINGTON - Efforts to train thousands of federal agents to protect commercial flights during heightened terror alerts were quietly abandoned more than a year ago because Congress objected to the cost, government investigators said Tuesday.

The Government Accountability Office, an investigative arm of Congress, reported that the federal air marshal service suspended its efforts to develop such a "surge capacity" by training customs and immigration agents to protect passenger airliners.

Ridge announced that the air marshals would be combined with immigration and customs agents in the same agency so agents in both could be cross-trained and used for aviation security. The move would allow more than 5,000 armed federal law enforcement agents to be deployed on commercial aircraft, he said.

By October 2004, Homeland Security had cross-trained some immigration and customs agents, but stopped because of congressional concerns that it was "an ineffective use of resources," the report said.

too, bad if a terrorist slips onto your flight :crazy:

peace

Otherwise they'd have to repeal tax cuts for the rich

at this link:

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005/11/gao-house-republicans-killed-air.html

(snip)

The AP article didn't make clear who in Congress killed the program, so I looked up the actual GAO report that was released today about this issue. It makes clear it was the House Appropriations Committee, which is run 100 percent by the GOP.

(end snip)

We need to send this to our dem leaders and ask our Republican congress why they broke their promise to make the skies safer.

while watching that "Flight that Fought Back" show on the Discovery Channel.

I guess as long as there air 400lb drink carts no one needs no 5000+ stinking air marshals.

Ok, the numbers are most likely waaaaaay toooo low.

--The exact number is classified.--

In the 4 years since 9/11 we've seen neglect for things that would seem to be pretty damn important in dealing with the threat of terrorism.

They have not secured our ports
They have not secured our borders
They are not screening checked luggage on commercial flights
They diverted resources from nailing Bin Laden/Al Qaeda
Now this...

Something stinks.

Then, it's an urgent, noble Cause.