Certain airports overseas will see an upgrade in security measures thanks to the United States Department of Homeland Security. Jeh Johnson, the chief of the department, told reporters this week that there will be procedures implemented that are more intense such as requiring certain passengers to turn on their mobile and electronic devices in order to test for new types of bombs that officials say could be used by terrorists. Individuals headed for destinations in the United States from foreign countries may now be required to activate their laptops, tablets, and cell phones during security screenings before boarding the airplanes.
The Transportation Security Administration, which is an agency within Homeland Security, said that devices without power will not be allowed to be taken onto any flights that are headed for the United States. DHS has initiated the heightened security requirements due to what it calls a “new generation of bombs” and bomb makers that have likely been able to circumvent the old security protocols.
There has been no mention thus far about which airports are expected to see implementation of the new security policies but Johnson did admit that the United States is still the primary target for international terrorism efforts.
The need for more stringent security stems from an order that Johnson issued to the TSA recently for increased security measures due to fears of terrorists, specifically Islamic Jihadists in several Middle Eastern countries including Yemen and Iraq, who might be working to develop the new types of bombs that are very difficult to detect. Some officials have said that the bombs could possibly be detonated using electronic devices that have been significantly rewired but which would still look normal to the untrained eye.
There has also been the suggestion that new bombs could consist of nonmetallic substances implanted surgically into an individual’s body that could be detonated the same as more traditional bombs.
