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Air marshals: caution over 'legal' guns
June 14, 2006 4:26 PM
Liberal Democrat European Justice Spokeswoman Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP has welcomed a European Parliament move that would mean armed 'sky marshals' being all but unknown on European flights, but warns against US pressure for them on transatlantic flights.
In amendments to proposed new EU aviation security standards, MEPs call for stringent conditions to be met for any introduction of air marshals with weapons on passenger flights. They insist that all countries involved in any passenger flight in Europe, i.e. country licensing the airline, country of flight origin, destination, transit or overflight must agree to allow them.
Baroness Ludford said:
"My preference is to rule out armed sky marshals altogether, but it is proper that the EU leaves the decision to the member states concerned. The conditions MEPs are specifying will rightly make it very difficult to have guns on board.
"I'm glad the European Parliament is resisting pressure from European governments who want to give in to US pressure for gun-toting marshals to be a routine part of flying.
"We need to concentrate on ending sloppy implementation of airport screening rather than allowing possible new security risks with terrorists trying to grab the guns they know will be on board.
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