Terrorists probing, planning for new aviation attacks

Despite billions of dollars spent on securing our nation's airports since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, experts say terrorists are still testing and targeting aviation security because an attack could kill a lot of people, undermine public confidence and cause significant economic damage. "It remains an incredibly high target for terrorists," Erroll Southers, President Obama's first choice to head the Transportation Security Administration, said. Southers had to withdraw his name from consideration due to political reasons. "It's still vulnerable... and it would be a decisive economic blow to our country." Aviation security experts spoke at homeland security and counterterrorism forum Tuesday at the Aspen Institute which was attended by lawmakers, industry insiders, journalists and the public.

Since 1960, there have been more than 90 active attacks by terrorists on airport structures, according to the experts. "What you're seeing here is experimentation on their part to see what they can get through screening. They've been more successful every year getting on planes and that troubles me," Southers said. The experts agreed that aviation security is only as good as its weakest link because once a passenger gets behind security barriers, they can access nearly any airport in the world. Because of that, the experts said that the greatest threat is overseas. Some international airports do not maintain the same security standards as the TSA.