One of the most crucial problems that become more and more severe every year is international terrorism. In the past few decades, the influence of it on different countries has grown, even despite measures that had been taken. Nevertheless, three central events have aroused international reaction; that are The World Trade Center attacks (Sept. 11, 2001), the Madrid train bombings (March 11, 2004), The Mumbai attacks on rail commuters on July 11, 2006 and on hotels on Nov. 26, 2008 (Downey & Menzies, 2002, p. 2). These attacks exposed that no country is immune enough to terrorism; moreover, they forced organizations and governments towards combining their efforts and working together in order to prevent future occurrences of this kind.
The majority of terrorist attacks happened after the 1990s, thereby indicating the deterioration of the security system and breaches in it. The gradual approach to security had proven itself as not working good enough, so it is essential to reinstate it with well-integrated structure. Nowadays, the terrorist hazard is not unfamiliar to the system of transportation, especially airfreight. As Downey and Menzies (2002) say, “from jet airliners to mass transit buses and rail terminals, vehicles and transport facilities are all-too-familiar targets of terrorist attacks in this country and abroad” (p. 6). Terrorist attacks on the airfreight system not only can be derailed but also averted, though it would call for a renewed security organization.
A traditional way of preventing terrorism in transportation system is to study, examine and cross out every opening and every breach available to terrorists. However, as it was already told, this method requires a lot of funds and is exceedingly ineffective. New measures should rely on layering assorted defensive actions; this will guarantee the reinforcement of every safeguard available, even though separately they are inadequate. This is one of the many breaches in the airfreight security.
Secondly, the attacks on September 11th exposed that every piece of air transport can be shifted into a weapon that will be used by terrorists. Now it has become an important issue for federal governments and independent companies to take measures in order air transportation system would never be exploited again as a tool for terrorist attacks. However, the solution to this breach is not evident, as the essence of airfreight is adeptness and admission (Pierre & Stewart, 2010). Determined assailants are able to penetrate the area under defense, as it has plenty of exposures through conventional means.
The breach connected with a weak security system leads to a vulnerability of it altogether; if an attacker can find one single imperfection, he is able to overpower the whole security establishment. Therefore, a more reasonable approach is essential, where if one layer of protection is compromised, others should be able to counterbalance it.
As a conclusion, there more than one gap in airfreight security against terrorism. In order to understand and eliminate them, it is essential to determine every possible terrorist hazard and learn how to prevent them. “In a nationally televised address on June 6, President proposed the creation of a cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security that would, among other things, gather intelligence and law enforcement information from all agencies and charge analysts with imagining the worst and planning to counter it” (Downey & Menzies, 2002, p. 7). As practice shows, such measures are essential, and an organization of committed investigational capacity is critically substantial. If all breaches in the security system are removed, it will allow keeping the air transportation system from being used in terrorist attacks.
References
Downey, M., & Menzies, T. (2002). Countering terrorism in transportation. Issues in Science and Technology, 18(4), 1-7.
Pierre, D., & Stewart. R. (2010). International logistics: The management of international trade operations. Berea, Ohio: Cicero Books, LLC.