A SECURITY HOLE AT FLIGHT TRAINING SCHOOLS.
The Osgood File. Sponsored in part by Barbasol Shaving Cream. Start your day with Barbasol, America's leader for a close shave. Close shave, America. Close shave, Barbasol. This is Charles Osgood.
Would it surprise you to hear that foreigners here illegally have been going to our flight schools - and that there's nothing to stop U.S. citizens who are not even allowed to be airline passengers from going to these same flight schools?
Unbelievable, isn't it? But it's true, as you'll hear after this...
((( BREAK )))
After the disastrous 9/11 attacks, are we still letting terrorists go to flight school in this country?
VO - Bob Orr, CBS News Correspondent
"Eleven years later, that vulnerability remains." (:04)
Our CBS News colleague Bob Orr.
VO - Bob Orr
"A new government investigation reveals between 2006 and 2011, U.S. flight schools continued to train some foreign students who had not undergone background security checks." (:11)
Stephen Lord of the Government Accountability Office told Congress about it yesterday.
He wouldn't say how many, because that's secret.
SOT - Stephen Lord, Government Accountability Office
"But some of the foreign nationals holding pilot's licenses were not in the TSA's database, indicating that some foreign nationals had not been vetted before receiving flight training and ultimately receiving pilot's licenses." (:14)
So, it's true.
SOT - Stephen Lord
"A foreign national can be approved for flight school training after entering the country illegally." (:06)
And talk about loopholes, says Bob Orr...
VO - Bob Orr
"The GAO investigation also turned up another bizarre security loophole: U.S. citizens who are on the no-fly list can still take flight lessons." (:09)
At the hearing, Republican Congressman Mike Rogers of Alabama asked Stephen Lord...
SOT - Rep. Mike Rogers, Republican of Alabama - with Stephen Lord
"(Rogers:) Mr. Lord, isn't it true that based on your report, the Transportation Security Administration cannot assure the American people that foreign terrorists are not in this country, learning how to fly airplanes? Yes or no. (Lord:) At this time, no." (:15)
The Osgood File. Charles Osgood on the CBS Radio Network. |
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