High-Technology Threats

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Some countries have responded to the recent spate of terrorist hijackings by deploying heavily armed guards and armored vehicles at airports. Although reluctant to discuss what other safety measures have been taken to meet new threats, airline officials insist that both detection technology and security personnel are under constant review. Explains Pan Am Spokesman James Arey: "The terrorists out there use every nugget of information to help develop their master plan." Some insiders, however, are skeptical. An Alitalia pilot believes that terrorist attacks galvanize airport security police into only temporary vigilance. "That lasts about a week," he complains. Too often, the normal lax checking procedures creep back in soon afterward.