There’s been plenty of resistance to the new full-body scanners that have been installed in airports all over the world in the wake of The Great Underwear-Bomb Scare of 2009. Our own Scott Carmichael worried just last week that images of nude children could surface and find their way into the hands of pedophiles.

After Alan Johnson, the UK Home Secretary, announced yesterday that full-body scanners would be introduced at Heathrow Airport in about three weeks, many in the UK have grown concerned that a full-body scan of a child would break laws against child pornography. The law in question is the Protection of Children Act from 1978, which prohibits creating an indecent image or “psuedo-image” of a child.  Read more... (245 words, 1 image, estimated 59 secs reading time)

Controversial passenger profiling techniques could be used in response to the attempted Detroit plane bombing, the Home Secretary has announced.

Alan Johnson said he was looking at whether ”additional targeted profiling” was needed to beef up airport security.

Passengers could be searched according to their race, ethnic background, age and gender, a decision that is likely to face opposition from civil rights groups. Announcing a series of new security measures, Mr Johnson warned passengers would face further delays as more were searched before they board planes.  Read more... (356 words, 1 image, estimated 1:25 mins reading time)

The man at the centre of the failed Detroit airliner bomb plot was probably not acting alone, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said today.

Mr Johnson also revealed Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had been banned from entering Britain and had been placed on a “watch list” earlier this year.

He said police and security services were investigating whether the 23-year-old had been radicalised while studying at University College London (UCL) between 2005 and 2008.

According to US network ABC News, Abdulmutallab has told FBI agents there were more “just like him” in Yemen who would carry out attacks in the near future.  Read more... (634 words, 1 image, estimated 2:32 mins reading time)

The man at the centre of the failed Detroit airliner bomb plot had been banned from entering Britain, it has been disclosed.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had been placed on a watch list earlier this year after UK authorities refused to renew his student visa.

Mr Johnson also said he did not believe that Abdulmutallab was acting alone, and that police and security services were examining whether he was radicalised while at University College London (UCL) between 2005 and 2008.  Read more... (400 words, 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

The family of a Nigerian man charged with trying to blow up a transatlantic jet on Christmas Day say his actions are “completely out of character”.

They said that, until recently, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, had never given them cause for concern.

His father, a prominent banker, alerted security agencies about two months ago when his son broke off communication.

Meanwhile, the UK said on Monday that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had been on its security watch list.

This meant he could not come into the UK, although he could pass through the country in transit.  Read more... (474 words, 1 image, estimated 1:54 mins reading time)