Lawmakers seek GAO review of air cargo security

Lawmakers seek GAO review of air cargo security    A bipartisan group of U.S. House leaders has asked the General Accounting Office to study the vulnerability of cargo on commercial passenger and all-cargo planes.
   In a letter to Comptroller General David Walker, the lawmakers said they “remain concerned that the extent to which air cargo transported aboard commercial and all-cargo aircraft is inspected in some form and the degree to which such cargo is more secure is still unclear.”
   The letter from seven congressmen — Tom Davis, R-Va., chairman of the Government Reform Committee; Christopher Cox, R-Calif., chairman of the Select Committee on Homeland Security; Dave Camp, R-Mich., chairman Homeland Security subcommittee on infrastructure and border security; Edward Markey, D-Mass.; Christopher Shays, chairman Government Reform subcommittee on national security, emerging threats and international relations; Jim Turner, D-Texas, ranking member of the Select Committee on Homeland Security; and Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., ranking member of the subcommittee on Infrastructure and border security — asked the GAO to conduct a comprehensive review of air cargo security procedures.
   The study is expected to document what actions the Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies, foreign governments, foreign and domestic passenger and all-cargo carriers and domestic freight forwarders are doing to improve air cargo security, and what difficulties they face trying to implement them. The House members also asked the GAO to determine what technology is available to screen 100 percent of air cargo.