By Damion Mitchell and Claude Mills, Staff Reporters
An Air Jamaica plane soaring over Jamaican waters, yesterday. - Rudolph Brown/Staff Photographer
THE UNITED States Department of Homeland Security yesterday announced a new requirement for armed law enforcement officers to be placed on some flights a move aimed at preventing planes from being hijacked in that country. The new regulation is supported by the Jamaican Government and Air Jamaica, the local carrier.
"The idea of having armed sky marshals is not new, the Government does not have a problem with it," said Foreign Affairs Minister K.D. Knight.
However, he said, "we would expect that there would be the necessary protocol and consultation with personnel on board the aircraft."
The United States announced the requirement just over one week since raising its terror alert to 'orange' or high level. It also said that it would ensure that other governments enforce the new requirement. Mr. Knight said it was understood that the initiative was consistent with the desire to protect passengers from terro-rist activities.
And Air Jamaica said in a release that "the airline will continue to work closely with the Jamaican and US authorities and will support and implement all measures aimed at maintaining and enhancing security and keeping our passengers safe."
It also said that it was in 'direct communication' with the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority and the United States Transportation Security Administration on the matter.
An Associated Press report said yesterday that for months, U.S. security officials have feared that al-Qaida operatives will again hijack planes to use them as missiles. The most recent concerns, it said, centred on airliners or cargo planes that take off from overseas and cross over U.S. airspace, on their way to a U.S. airport or otherwise.
The report also said that The Homeland Security Department would require marshals on international flights where intelligence information leads to a specific concern about that airplane.
In announcing the new arrangements yesterday, Tom Ridge, U.S. Secretary for Homeland Security, said that armed law enforcement officers will only be placed on 'flights of interest', where the US and other authorities determine that added security is necessary.
According to Department Spokesman Dennis Murphy, armed government officers from the country of the airline's ownership must be aboard, and they must be equipped to prevent anyone from reaching the plane's cockpit. They should also be able to communicate with the crew, Murphy said.
