Janet Napolitano
An official with the nation’s aviation system lamented on Wednesday that U.S. counterterrorism efforts are too focused on — of all things — the aviation system.
The Federal Aviation Administration official called the issue “troubling,” insisting that more attention should be paid to the nation’s rail system.
In Washington, where federal agencies often tangle over turf and tactics, it’s rare to see an official from one agency worrying about the resources and attention being afforded to another agency or institution.
The sentiment came after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, speaking in Washington at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, outlined her department’s efforts to boost aviation security around the world.
During a question-and-answer session, a man identified himself as an FAA employee and a “strong” supporter of the Obama administration’s efforts to stop terrorism.
But, he told Napolitano, he finds it “troubling” that “so much progress has been made with aviation security” while rail security remains “largely” ignored.
After all, Russia and Spain have both “suffered transit attacks,” said the FAA employee, a policy analyst in his 30s.
He asked Fox News not to identify him by name, insisting he did not speak for the FAA.
Napolitano herself has expressed similar views, even before she became head of Homeland Security.
During her confirmation hearing on Jan. 15, 2009, she told lawmakers that the department’s counterterrorism efforts “ought” to focus on “not just aviation but surface transportation as well.”
“That is a work in progress,” she said. “We haven’t done as much there as we have done on aviation.”
On Wednesday, Napolitano told the FAA official he is “right to say” that terrorists want to target rail systems, which she said is something reflected by current U.S. intelligence.
As an example, she cited the case of Najibullah Zazi, the Colorado airport shuttle bus driver who was arrested last year for plotting an attack on the New York City subway system.
But, she said, her department and the Obama administration are taking steps to boost security on rail systems across the country.
She said the White House’s latest budget proposal includes requests to increase deployment of Visible Intermodal Protection and Response (VIPER) teams, particularly where intelligence suggests threats are greatest.
VIPER teams are the rail equivalent of federal air marshals, patrolling Amtrak and other mass transit systems for suspicious behavior and responding to potential incidents.
In addition, Napolitano said her department is trying to boost rail security through risk-based grant programs to cities and towns across the country.
Napolitano was the keynote speaker at the National Chamber Foundation’s Annual Aviation Summit, a forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.
“Secretary Napolitano underscored the Obama administration’s unprecedented efforts to strengthen the international aviation system by enhancing information sharing with international partners about terrorists and other dangerous individuals; increasing cooperation on the development and deployment of new technology, such as Advanced Imaging Technology and Explosive Trace Detection units; and modernizing aviation security standards around the world,” according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.
In March, two female suicide bombers attacked the Moscow Metro, killing dozens and injuring scores more. Six years earlier, in 2004, several bombs ripped through four trains in Madrid, killing nearly 200 and injuring hundreds more.
In each case, a group affiliated with al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack.