Confusion in Europe after US demands more security

[unhappycamper]

Confusion in Europe after US demands more security
By GREGORY KATZ
Associated Press Writer
Jan 4, 8:11 AM EST

LONDON (AP) -- Airline passengers bound for the United States faced a hodgepodge of heightened security measures across Europe on Monday, but airports did not appear to be following a U.S. request for increased screening of passengers from 14 countries.

U.S. officials in Washington said the new security measures would be implemented Monday but there were few visible changes on the ground in Europe, which has thousands of passengers on hundreds of daily flights to the United States.

Large hubs such as London, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt alone account for 20-30 trans-Atlantic flights a day each.

In Britain, a major international transport hub, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation said he was still trying to decipher the practical implications for Britain of the new U.S. rules. He refused to give his name due to the sensitivity of the subject.

U.S. authorities said as of Monday, anyone traveling from or through nations regarded as state sponsors of terrorism - as well as "other countries of interest" - will be required to go through enhanced screening. The Transportation Security Administration said those techniques would include full-body pat-downs, carryon bag searches, full-body scanning and explosive detection technology.

Rest of Stripes article at: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WORLD_AIRLINE_SECURITY?SITE=DCSAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-01-04-08-11-48