The former head of security of Israeli airline El Al says checking that electronics work at airport

(7 Jul 2014) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus013347
Passengers at some overseas airports that offer U.S.-bound flights will soon be required to power on their electronic devices in order to board their flights..
It's a measure intended to enhance aviation security at a time when intelligence officials are concerned about hidden explosives, a counterterrorism official said.
American intelligence officials have been concerned about new al-Qaida efforts to produce a bomb that would go undetected through airport security.
"No doubt that this will help because if somebody will put in his cell phone explosives instead of all the electronic equipment that you have, and he will fill it up, then it's dangerous for the flight," said Isaac Yeffet, the former security chief for Israel's main airline El Al.
There is no indication that such a bomb has been created or that there's a specific threat to the U.S., but intelligence has suggested that al-Qaida and like-minded groups are focused on perfecting an explosive that could be hidden in shoes, electronics or cosmetics, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
The Transportation Security Administration says it is adding the requirement that passengers coming to the U.S. from some airports must turn on devices such as cellphones before boarding.
It says devices that won't power up won't be allowed on planes and those travelers may have to undergo additional screening.
Turning on an electronic device can show a screener that the laptop or cellphone, for instance, is a working device and that the batteries are used for operating that device and that the device is not hiding explosives.
The enhanced security measures come as U.S. intelligence officials are concerned about Americans and others from the West who have traveled to Syria to join the fight against the Syrian government.
The fear is that a fighter with a U.S. or other Western passport, who therefore may be subject to less stringent security screening, could carry such a bomb onto an American plane.
TSA will not disclose which airports will be conducting the additional screening.
Yeffet says that the added check of electronics is one part of the security puzzle.
He says checking technology like cell phones and also relying on other forms of technology to detect explosives can only goes so far.
"Technology can never replace the qualified and well trained human being," said Yeffet, who says good security agents who can spot suspicious looking and acting people remain the best line of defense against terror threats.
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