U.S. to Add 5,000 Armed Air Marshals

[KC]

U.S. to Add 5,000 Armed Air Marshals
By JOHN J. LUMPKIN

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration is shuffling its homeland security operation to make 5,000 more armed agents available to protect commercial flights.

The reorganization will combine the air marshal's program with the customs and immigration security programs so agents in both can be cross-trained and used for aviation security, officials said. This will allow the government to put extra agents on airliners when officials believe they are being targeted by terrorists.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge planned to outline the reorganization in a speech Tuesday to the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. He was to describe the changes as a way to better mobilize the resources of his department.

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AIR_SECURITY?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=POLITICS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[htuttle]

1. Pulling them from Customs isn't exactly 'adding' them

If the customs agents are going to be mobilized as air marshals when DHS feels we are targeted for attack, WHO exactly is going to be checking shipping containers at that point?

[Divernan]

2. Most customs agents I've seen are not in shape to tackle terrorists.

Are there currently any female sky marshalls? Because there are a lot of female customs agents, also older customs agents, also overweight customs agents. Shouldn't sky marshalls be very physically fit?