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Bush Plans Federal Control of Air Security
President Bush asked the nation's governors to post National Guard troops at airports Thursday as a first step to take federal control of airline security and coax Americans back into the skies. ''This nation will not live in fear,'' he said.
Bush's plan envisions stationing 4,000-5,000 troops at the nation's 420 commercial airports for up to six months while the federal government prepares to step in. Also, many more in-flight air marshals would be trained and a federal agency would be set up to oversee the screening of passengers and luggage.
The president announced his program at a pep-rally style event at O'Hare International Airport 16 days after suicide hijackers slammed jetliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
He urged the crowd not to give terrorism a victory by staying on the ground. "Get on the airlines, get about the business of America," Bush said. "Fly and enjoy America's great destination spots."
He said nine of his Cabinet secretaries would travel the country on commercial flights on Friday to show Americans that they, too, can feel comfortable boarding airplanes again.
Bush authorized $500 million in grants to the airlines to strengthen cockpit doors and study technology that would allow air traffic controllers to take control of a plane if the pilot was incapacitated.
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