Preparedness of Raleigh Durham International Airport for a Terrorist Attack
Daniel Hammer
American Military University
Spring 2011

Abstract This research paper will address the current security policies at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in Raleigh, North Carolina. The current security policies will be scrutinized and see if they are capable in deterring a terrorist attack. They will be compared and a number of fields, such as usefulness, cost effectiveness, and to foreign nations airport security policies, as well as other airports in America. Finally, the airport security policies will be checked for weak points and flaws that terrorists may utilize for an attack.

Introduction to the Study

America’s airports are a gateway in and out of the nation. Unfortunately, they are also a focus of terrorist attack. America’s airports have security measures in place to deter and stop terrorist attack, but are actually capable in doing so? Specifically, is Raleigh-Durham International Airport capable of withstanding a terrorist attack? How effective are the security measures in stopping a terrorist attack? Is the cost of the security measures reasonable? Are the security measures violating American rights? And, How effective are the security compared to both foreign nations, and to pre 9/11? These are the questions that will be addressed in this case study.

Purpose of this Study

The purpose of this case study will be to ascertain what security policies Raleigh-Durham International Airport in Raleigh, North Carolina have put into operation in order to deter terrorist attacks, and investigating to see if these policies are effective.
Gaps in the Current Literature
The current literature has no research into the security policies at RDU. The research in this case study will provide the necessary information to fill that void.
Central Research Questions

The central questions for this study consist of the following:
C1 – What is RDU’s preparedness for a terrorist attack?
C2 – How are RDU’s airport security policies compared to before 9/11?
C3 – And, what are the main weaknesses and faults of RDU’s current airport security policies?

Key Research Questions
The key research questions for this study consist of the following:
K1 - How do the security policies compare to other airports in America?
K2 - Are the current policies more or less effective than before 9/11?

K3- What are some of the holes in the security policies at RDU that terrorists can exploit?

Literature Review According to CIA world factbook, there are over 15,000 airports in America as of 2010. Of those, 376 of them have regularly scheduled airline service (CIA 2011). All airports could be subject to terrorist attack, but the international airports are especially prone to attack. Terrorists are able to stage attacks from foreign nations and carry them out at America’s international airports. According to CIA world factbook, there are 51 international airports in America. Our country is not alone in being targeted in airports; many counties have experienced tragedy in their airports. Russia, for example, was bombed in Jan 2011 at Domodedovo airport in Moscow which left at least 37 people dead and more than 100 injured (BBC 2011). Since 9/11, airports across the Unites States have enhanced and made more strict the security policies, but are they sufficient to deter a terrorist attack from occurring? More specifically, is RDU capable of stopping any terrorist from occurring, and, if one were to occur, do they have the means to deal with the aftermath?
TSA's Pistole on Opt-Out John Pistole, administrator of U.S. Transport Security Administration (TSA) has made a crucial decision that will affect the security lines at America’s airports. He has decided to not approve the expansion of the opt out program regarding full body scanners in our nation’s Airports. He stated the TSA would be less flexible with its employees if the opt out program were to encompass more airports. This is directly related to airport security in two ways. First, this decision limits the amount of airports that are able to support people who are unwilling to go through the full body scanner. The scanners were put in place to allow for a quick and accurate way to detect weapons on a person’s body. It is nearly impossible to pass through the screener with metal without the machine detecting it (TSA 2011). Second, not allowing the opt out program to expand frees up TSA employees to do other tasks. Specifically, they are able to have the employees available to utilize if a security issue ever came up. RDU has recently installed a full body scanner in Terminal 2 security checkpoint (RDU 2011). Passengers may still opt out of the full body scanner, but they must in return be searched by hand by a qualified TSA employee (RDU 2011). The scanner technology will automatically detect potential threat items and indicate their location on a generic outline of a person that will appear on a monitor attached to the full body scanner unit (TSA 2011).
Risks, Ethics, and Airport Security In addition to the physical security at Americas airports, there is also the perception of security in Americas airports today. Most passengers are aware of TSA rules of carryon luggage. Only certain amounts of liquid are allowed (TSA). Absolutely no weapons or sharp objects of any kind are allowed (TSA). However, many things not considered as weapons or dangerous are not allowed on the aircraft. For instance, in the article “Risks, ethics, and Airport Security,” written by Pat O’Malley from Carleton University, he makes the point that tweezers are one of the items TSA marks as banned on the aircraft, due to its potential to cause harm or to be used as a weapon. However, prescription glasses are allowed on aircraft every day, and the can be also utilized as weapons. An even better example is glass wine bottles, which airport employees themselves bring onboard the aircraft to serve the guests. However, these glass bottles are much more dangerous than tweezers, and can cause much more harm, and even death (O’Malley 2006). O’Malley goes on to say that security, especially in today’s airports, relies heavily on perception the people. He states that while it is true that the prescription glasses can cause more harm than the tweezers, the tweezers are banned as more of a symbolic nature. He also states that the knowledge in this case is perspectival rather than absolute.
DHS Enhances Aviation Security TSA and the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) has recently made strides to make America’s airports secure and safe, as well as up to code with international standards. According to this government report named "DHS Has Taken Steps to Enhance International Aviation Security and Facilitate Compliance with International Standards, but Challenges Remain," TSA and DHS have coordinated with foreign governments to harmonize air cargo security practices to address the statutory mandate to screen 100 percent of air cargo transported on U.S.-bound passenger aircraft by August 2010, which TSA aims to meet by 2013. The report goes on to say that synchronizing with foreign governments is very challenging, and depends on both the willingness and the ability of the host nation. Some foreign nations may view security threats differently than the American government, and others may not even have the ability to control the threats.
TSA Security Checkpoint Rules So what exactly can be brought through the security point at RDU? What are some potential items that are getting through the security checkpoint that can be used as a weapon by terrorists? Since RDU is an international airport that is located inside the United States, the security checkpoints are governed by TSA (TSA 2011). Because of this, there are standard security policies in effect at RDU that are also in effect at every American International airport. Here are some of the security policies, all of which can be found on the TSA website.
1. Only a small amount of liquids may be brought aboard the aircraft. 3.4 ounce (100ml) bottle or less (by volume) or less is permitted. All additional liquids may be placed in checked luggage (TSA 2011).
2. Remove shoes and place them directly on the belt to be scanned by the x-ray machine. Do this before passing through the x-ray detector. Screening shoes by X-ray is an effective method of identifying any type of anomalies, including explosives. Screening shoes increases security at the checkpoint (TSA 2011).
3. Have your airline boarding pass and government-issued photo ID available until exiting the security checkpoint. The absence of proper identification will result in additional screening (TSA 2011).
4. The following is a small list of the prohibited items that cannot be carried on board the aircraft. box cutters, ice axes/ice picks, knives-except for plastic or round bladed butter knives, meat cleavers, razor-type blades, sabers, and swords (TSA 2011). Please refer to www.tsa.gov for a complete list of prohibited items. These are just a few of many policies has in effect at RDU. These policies were implemented for the sole purpose of deterring and stopping and threats to the aircraft and the passengers and crew within (TSA 2011). Some were put into operation directly because a terrorist attack was nearly carried out.
The Shoe Bomber Case Terrorist attempts have occurred in the United States after the tragedy of 9/11. All passengers must take off their shoes while going through airport security checkpoints because Richard Reid attempted to smuggle and explode a bomb in December 2001 that was hidden in his shoe (CNN 2002). Ried grew up in London and converted to Islam in the late 90’s (CNN 2002). In late December 2001, Reid buys round-trip ticket from Paris to Miami, Florida, to Antigua (CNN 2002). Police in France question and detain Reid for one day, mainly because he was traveling without any luggage (CNN 2002). The next day, Reid tried to ignite his shoe bomb after taking off from Florida, but the fuse never lit, and the crew and passengers subdued him (CNN 2002). Investigators say the one day delay in Reids plan may have been the key to the fuse never lighting, due to his foot perspiration and the fact that it was raining (CNN 2002). All security checkpoints in major airlines now require passengers to remove their shoes for through investigation (TSA 2011).
Liquid Explosives Plot of 2006 Threats to aircraft exist not only in domestic flights, but also from arrival aircraft from foreign nations. In August of 2006, three men were arrested in suspicion of plotting to kill thousands of people by means of liquid explosives (BBC 2009). Their plan was to smuggle explosives on board several aircraft departing from London’s Heathrow airport to several American and Canadian airports (BBC 2009). The explosives that they tried to smuggle onboard was prepared from a homemade mixture of chemicals that they planned to take onto planes in ordinary sports drinks bottles stored within hand luggage (BBC 2009). Fortunately, the plot was discovered by British police before it can be carried out (BBC). However, the impact of that plot still remains in security checkpoints in America and also around the world. Many airports, including RDU, require passengers to either check all liquids or only carry at total of 100 ml or less of liquid in their carry on (TSA 2011).
Foreign Security Incidents Terrorist attacks are not limited to being targeted to North America alone. For Instance, Sushant Deb and Igor Livits, authors of the article “Airport Safety Assurance—Use Training Seriously” has found some examples of terrorist attacks at airports within the last ten years. According to them, a gunman killed two Israelis before being shot by security guards in Las Angeles International Airport. Also, in 2007, Glasgow International Airport in Scotland was attacked by al-Qaeda Muslims that drove a burning car loaded with gas into the front door of the main terminal building (Deb 2010). However, one recent attack in Russia shows that current security policies can still be circumvented, and terrorists can cause significant harm.
Domodedovo International Airport bombing On 24 Jan 2011, a suicide bomber attacked Moscow’s busiest airport Domodedovo International (BBC 2011). The aftermath resulted in the deaths of at least 37 people and left over 100 people injured (BBC 2011). The suicide bomber was a 20 year old man from North Caucasus, and the explosion occurred in the International baggage claim section just as several flights were arriving (BBC 2011). Because the attack happened outside the security checkpoint, the suicide bomber was able to get as far as he did into the airport. RDU is a much smaller airport then Domodedovo International, however, the layout is similar (RDU 2011). If a terrorist wanted to attack the baggage claim section at RDU, there is little security deterring an attack compared to beyond the security checkpoint. Even though no Americans were killed in this tragic event, they are still Americans are still in danger when travelling overseas.
U.S. Airmen Killed in Airport Shooting Recently, there was a security incident that occurred that cost the lives of two U.S. Air Force officers. According to the source “Airport Security Report”, a gunman opened fire on two U.S. Air Force officers in a terminal of a German airport in Frankfurt, Germany. The two officers were killed in that incident (International 2011). This article sheds light of the fact that Americans need protecting not only in American airports, but also abroad. Terrorist attacks are also a threat in other nations, and America’s airports won’t be safe unless foreign airports can also be shielded from terrorist attack.
Summary of Literature All of the previous articles show that airports are not safe after 9/11, despite additional security measures in place. TSA security employees need to remain aware of their surroundings, and they need to stay focused on enforcing security measures. They must guarantee a safe environment in airport terminals to protect passengers and equipment. Just because America has not had a major terrorist incident since 9/11, does not mean America is shielded from terrorist attack, or that it will not happen again.
Research Method
Participants
Participants will include every employee in the TSA security administration working at RDU, such as baggage scanners and TSA employees working the security line. Other participants will include other essential employees working at RDU, such as bag draggers and tellers, as well as over one thousand passengers flying into or out of RDU, or a daily average number of passengers.
Survey
The survey will have a primary focus on the security checkpoint at Terminal 2, due to the fact it is the full body scanner, and a secondary focus on the remainder of the airport. The survey will take place over a period of one week. At least 100 passengers will be interviewed. I will approach each of them and ask if they would like to participate in a survey about the current security standards at RDU. They will be given a short survey asking various questions ranging from how safe they feel in the aircraft, and in various section of RDU, including before and after the security checkpoint.

Procedure

The amount of employees working security will be recorded, along with the amount of passengers at the airport, and the amount of both false and positive security incidents at RDU over a period of one week. Historical data in the area will be compared to the survey. Assistance from RDU’s leadership will be requested in both getting the historical data and making sure the survey is accurate. I will also use open source data for historical security incidences.

Anticipated Ethical Concerns

The security procedures at Raleigh-Durham International airport will be validated and checked to see if they are sufficient enough to deter or prevent a terrorist attack. Proper ethics must be strictly followed while conducting this research. For example, one part of the research project focuses on interviewing a predetermined amount of passengers and getting their opinion of the security protocols at RDU. Steps must be taken to ensure that the participants are selected at random, and not based on gender, race, or religious domination. Also, questions must be very specific and factually based rather than opinion. The must also be directed toward only the security of the airport and the security policies. The customer service of a particular airline or the amount of delays and cancellations of the airline must not alter the opinion of the security procedures, unless they were directly related to the reason for the delay or cancellation. Another aspect of the research project is looking at the security policies themselves and reporting on their strengths and weaknesses, and if terrorists can find a way through them. Even though all American want security measures to be sound and the American people to be protected, care must be taken to not swing unbiased toward the security policies being sufficient. The findings must be reported as is, and not altered in one way or another. There are only a couple of limitations in the research project. First, the amount of investigation into the security policies at RDU may be limited by the leadership due to keep the policies out of the public eye. This is understandable, as if the terrorists knew all the security procedures, then they are able to overcome them much easier than if they were in the dark about it. This can be avoided by coordinating some type of scenario or training exercise with members of the security staff. Secondly, the findings will merely be theoretical in nature due to the fact that the ability to deter a terrorist attack may truly only be tested by a terrorist actually trying to attack. Substitutions may be very similar, but the findings will only be validated if a terrorist actually carries out a plan. Historical data from both the archives at RDU and other similar American airports can help to bridge that gap.

Conclusion

America airports are key to the well being of its economic and financial achievement, and keeping the airports running and safe are key to this nation’s success. Airports were specifically designed to move people and cargo. However, these planes can be turned into weapons by terrorists, as seen by the tragic day of September 11th 2001. International airports are especially at risk, shown by its ease of access from foreign nations, and the historical incidents at international airports. Many security protocols are in place to deter and stop terrorist attack, but they may not be sufficient or may be circumvented by cleaver and determined terrorists. Up to date security policies and employees diligent enough to enforce them will significantly increase their chances of success.

References
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Lord, S. "DHS Has Taken Steps to Enhance International Aviation Security and Facilitate Compliance with International Standards, but Challenges Remain." United States Government Accountability Office (2010)
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"Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)." Raleigh-Durham International Airport. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2011. .
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