Tells Attendees Airport Security Trumps Privacy Concerns

 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano (pictured, right) traveled to the Middle East over the Memorial Day holiday. Napolitano went to the UAE at the invitation of that country's Minister of the Economy, Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri. She and her counterparts from the Middle East region and officials from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) attended a conference held in Abu Dhabi to discuss ways to bolster global aviation security Monday and Tuesday.

This is the fifth in a series of major international meetings hosted by ICAO member states in which the Secretary has participated to build consensus on strengthening global aviation security, and to identify specific steps which nations can take individually and collectively to protect all passengers.

Napolitano said concerns over privacy should not get in the way of international cooperation on airport security. DHS has moved to put full-body scanners in place following the Christmas day attempt to detonate a bomb on an airliner bound for Detroit from Amsterdam. Some Muslim and civil liberties groups have protested that move because of the full-body nature of the image the machines produce.

Napolitano said she was "respectful and cognizant" of privacy concerns, and that "(r)espect for privacy is a value we share. But all countries have unique legal traditions, cultural differences, and political realities.  I believe that we should not allow these differences to keep us from working toward a common goal and a deep and stronger partnership with respect to security and privacy," she said.

Briebart News Service reports that Napolitano said technology should be used to its fullest advantage. "To effectively maintain the initiative in fighting terrorism and crime, we must also effectively utilize the intellect of our scientific community to pursue our common cause," she said.

Napolitano told the conference that there are already machines in development in the private sector that could detect the kinds of explosives used on December 25th while still protecting the privacy of an individual being scanned.

Prior to visiting UAE, Secretary Napolitano traveled to Saudi Arabia on May 30-31 at the invitation of Prince Mohammed bin Nayef for meetings with top Saudi officials about a variety of global security issues. Also on the agenda were counter-terrorism, counter-radicalization and cooperation on critical infrastructure protection. She was also slated to deliver remarks to students and businesswomen about the importance of opportunities in education and the value of public service for women across the world.

FMI: www.dhs.gov