Tuesday, January 5, 2010

FULL BODY SCANNERS READY SOON

FROM: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/100105/canada/canada_us_security_airline_canada_1

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada plans to introduce full-body scanners at all its major international airports to tighten security after the failed attack last month on a U.S.-bound plane, a government spokesman said on Tuesday.

The scanners, which see through clothing, will go into nine airports including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, and will be used for now only on U.S.-bound flights, Transport Canada spokesman Patrick Charette said.

Canada had already been looking at the possibility, starting with a trial in 2008 at a small airport in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Britain, the Netherlands and Nigeria are among other countries introducing scanners. Canada has a particularly large number of flights to the United States, and passengers even clear U.S. customs at the big Canadian airports.

The Vancouver Sun said in an editorial on Tuesday that the cost of the stricter security may outweigh the benefits.

"Unfortunately, as we have seen the chaos that has consumed our airports over the past couple of weeks in the post-9/11 environment, fear of terrorism and the desire of politicians to be seen taking actions have elbowed aside rational responses," the newspaper wrote.

*** "How to look good naked" takes on a whole other meaning eh? MS ***