U.S. gets tough on airline security

WASHINGTON - The American authorities in the past week ordered a U.S.-bound flight from Mexico to turn around in midflight and imposed extraordinary security measures on at least six other incoming flights because of terrorist concerns, federal officials told the New York Times on Wednesday.

U.S. officials were so concerned about possible attacks on at least five foreign flights that landed in the United States - including one at Dulles Airport outside Washington and several in Los Angeles - that they took the planes to remote locations away from the main terminals and rescreened the passengers before allowing them to leave.

The security moves, along with the cancellation of several Christmas Eve flights by Air France to U.S. airports, reflect an aggressive new approach by the Bush administration toward guarding U.S. airspace because of concerns that terrorists may seek to hijack international flights. The strategy is an outgrowth of the "high risk" terrorist alert status initiated on Dec. 21.

This week, Tom Ridge, secretary of the department of homeland security, put foreign airlines on notice that they would be denied entry to U.S. airspace if they refused to put armed air marshals on any incoming flights of concern.

In the case of a flight this week from Mexico, a Transportation Security Administration inspector based there told officials in the United States that passengers boarding a flight for the United States had not been properly screened, officials told the New York Times.

The airline then agreed to return the plane to Mexico and rescreen the passengers before it completed its flight, the officials said.

In addition, military F-16 fighter jets have shadowed some foreign flights from Air France and other airlines arriving at major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, the newspaper said.

PORTS, SHIPS MISS DEADLINE: Almost 5,000 ships and about 80 percent of the nation's ports, ferry terminals and fuel-chemical tank farms failed to meet a Wednesday deadline for submitting maritime security plans showing how they will deal with terrorism threats.

Security measures to prevent attacks from the sea have fallen far behind efforts to protect airports and airplanes since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror strikes.

Congress last year ordered the maritime shipping industry to tighten security amid fears that an attack on a seaport could kill thousands, cause tremendous property damage and cost tens of billions of dollars in lost revenue.

Coast Guard officials said the deadline for submitting the plans was met by about 5,200 of 10,000 ships and only 1,100 of 5,000 port facilities - despite a potential fine of $25,000.

The Tampa Port Authority submitted its security plan to the commander of the Coast Guard marine safety office in Tampa on Wednesday afternoon, said Lori Musser, a port spokeswoman. "It was probably 2 inches thick, pretty hefty," she said.

One reason ships, ports and other facilities were missing their deadline is they were given too little time, said Maureen Ellis, a spokeswoman for the Association of American Port Authorities. The government didn't finalize what it wanted until Oct. 22.

- Times staff writer Steve Huettel contributed to this report.

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