Pat-downs to conitnue at US airports for 'foreseeable future'

The US homeland security czar today said the controversial full-body scanners and invasive pat-downs, which had sparked an outrage in India earlier this month, will remain in place for the "foreseeable future," at airports around the country.

Asked on CNN's State of the Union programme if anything is going to change with the pat-down programme, homeland security secretary Janet Napolitano said it will not change for the "foreseeable future."

She underlined that the full-body scanners and pat-downs will remain in place for the "foreseeable future".

Even as arguing that the new technology and the pat-downs are safer for the traveling public, the security czar said she is always looking to improve the security systems in place.

Some airline passengers and lawmakers have objected to the new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) policy, which includes full-body scans and pat-downs.

TSA, under its new policy, must screen airline passengers using whole-body imaging systems. But passengers who feel that the scans are too intrusive are permitted to go through a metal detector or receive a pat-down, which some have said comes too close to groping.

There was outrage in India when sari-clad Indian ambassador to US, Meera Shankar, was pulled out of security line at Mississippi's Jackson-Evers International Airport and patted down by an American security agent, despite being told of her diplomatic status.

Jackson-Evers does not yet have full-body screeners, which meant that the ambassador became subject to a thorough pat-down on December 4.

The incident had sparked a diplomatic row and prompted the Indian mission here to strongly protest. In New Delhi, external affairs minister SM Krishna called the pat-down of Shankar as "unacceptable" and said the matter would be taken up with the American government.

The US government expressed regret over the incident, promised to ensure that it did not recur.

Later, security officials at the Houston Airport in Texas had asked India's top diplomat to the UN Hardeep Puri, a turban wearing Sikh, to check his headgear.

However, Puri had downplayed the incident at the Houston airport, saying he did not allow removal of his turban nor was he patted down.

According to TSA estimates only 3% of passengers have been subject to pat-downs, and only after they have failed a metal detector test or refused to go through a full-body scanner.