Officials: Serious lapses in security at the JFK airport shuttle

The lack of security on the AirTrain shuttle system at JFK airport has raised concerns.The unmanned, unpoliced AirTrain system increases has lack of security was discussed, in a New York homeland security heard "It's a bad situation," says port authority union officer

New York (CNN) --eine number of security bugs in an airport shuttle system in New York is concerns trigger in some port authority officers and state senators.

"Under the cops that it is known also as possible weapons delivery system,", an official of the port authority said police of the AirTrain shuttle system, the thousands of passengers to and from John F. Kennedy International Airport Ferry. The official wanted to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The lack of security on the system-an eight mile fully automatic, unmanned Railroad--a State Homeland Security consultation was to discuss vulnerabilities, even 10 years after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington are discussed Friday.

"It is not scanning of bags, there is no scanning of passengers," State said Senator Greg ball, which is also the Chairman of the Committee of New York State Homeland Security. "We should staff on this transport have uniformed corridor, we do not."

Police Benevolent Association Vice President Robert Morris described it as "a bad situation", noted that the airport shuttle trains giving the international arrivals building of airport directly below the slopes you are working with the airlines such as El Al.

Cleveland Terminal, aircraft after screening glitch evacuated

"Port Authority security study, that the deployment of this system was for 18 police officers on the day, the system of the police." Three city tour duty a day, 365 days a year, "said Morris the Panel." "Have in the last 12 months, we had 40 tours, is about two weeks worth of coverage with an officer."

The hearing requested ball, Division of the Police Benevolent Association, a National Union, was made in March by the New York Police represents. A lack of security on the airport shuttle quoted the Union in their complaint. The port authority of New York and New Jersey is responsible for the security in New York City airports, bridges and tunnels.

The port authority said in a statement on Friday that there is no lapse in security.

"Way that the force, which and cameras as well as all of our provided security apparatus, certainly within all port authority should feel means the travellers public facilities", the statement said.

Bobby Egbert, spokesman for the port authority police benevolence Association, Saturday given that the port authority is a large organization with many responsibilities. If it develop to the transport of people and commerce in the bistate region, he said that the Agency does a great job.

"The problem is that public safety concerns seriously take it," he said.

According to Egbert the biggest problem with security on the AirTrain system is especially a lack of communication lack of a central radio system in the new JetBlue terminal five.

Morris noted the lack of a-to-use radio in the Terminal, say that officers instead of Handys--a slower form of communication when officers quickly call, backup, or relay information must be issued.

While officers in the Terminal carrying radios on the belt, it "as well as carry a brick could be", said Morris Friday.

Egbert referred to the example of Steven Slater, the JetBlue flight attendant, who pulled the emergency slide of a level and ran from the airport.

"This is way, like him," said Egbert. "The two cops in the service had no idea what was going on."

While Slater's hurt anyone not stunt, Egbert, believes that his escape the real security threat to the people in the surrounding AirTrain terminals and airport exhibits.

Ball's Office said that a further hearing in Albany next month there will be some of the concerns in Friday's meeting detailed follow up.

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US officials condemn Quran burn

Quran-burning protests in Kandahar moveNEW: Harry Reid says the Senate President Hamid Karzai will look at the IssueAfghan calls Pastor Terry Jones JusticeThe top U.S. General put in Afghanistan calls Florida action "hateful", a person dies in protests after a deadly attack on a UN-compoundCheck's CNN.com Afghanistan intersection blog for the latest developments, and the think blog for a timeline of Terry Jones.

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) --Top condemned the burning of the Quran in the United States US officials in Afghanistan on Sunday, sparked the three days of protests in which more than 20 people died.

Burning of the Muslim holy book said "was it was intolerant disgusting, and it was very disrespectful and we condemn once again, most as possible," General David Petraeus, the head of the US led international forces in Afghanistan.

U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry said in a statement that respect American Quran "and all religious texts and regret any action that shows disrespect to any religious faith."

"At the same time, would like to, I stress, how many Afghan leaders who attack and kill innocent people as a response to the deplorable act of an individual is scandalous and an affront to human decency and would,", said the statement Eikenbery.

NATO Ambassador Mark Sedwill of the United Kingdom, meanwhile, the burning of a Quran with a small church of Florida called "an act of disrespect for the Muslim faith and all the people of the faith." "It is not the views of the people or Government of the Alliance."

The comments came at least 10 confrontations Sunday in Kandahar, Afghanistan between police and demonstrators throwing stones up to three people, including two police officers killed and injured.

Interior Ministry spokesman Zemaray Corel said a civilian and two policemen have been killed were, and 10 were injured.

The latest clashes in protest, according to Ahmad Wali Karzai, the provincial Council Chief who Afghan President Hamid Karzai is brother, and local elder Haji Abdul Malik has occurred. They said a demonstrator died and at least a dozen people were injured.

Karzai strongly condemned burn the Quran and asked "that the United States Senate and the House of representatives and the President this action... publicly condemn in very clear terms", his Office said in a statement.

President Barack Obama condemned the action, also on Saturday, while Senate majority leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said the CBS program "face the nation" on Sunday, the Senate that "look" on the subject.

Reid stopped behind the Senate would on a resolution vote say add: ", whether we need hearings or not, I don't know."

He called burning by Pastor Terry Jones in Florida "a publicity GAG" the Quran and said: "I think people should understand, that follow what they do, under the guise of religion."

However denied President Karzai's brother, that the protests were a result of Quran Kandahar burn.

"The protests in the last two days in Kandahar have no connection to the Quran properties, burn public and Government in United States at all, but some people on prey were organized" Ahmad Wali Karzai told CNN, adding that he condemned the desecration of Islamic holy book.

Sunday, protesters in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, protested the burning of the Quran, blocking a major road leading to the capital Kabul, said as witnesses. The protesters Jalalabad were University students.

The National Assembly of the clergy on Sunday condemned both the Quran burn and the killing of civilians and UN personnel in the demonstrations.

At least nine people were killed and 73 in Kandahar on Saturday, and 12 people injured died Friday-including seven United Nations staff-when angry demonstrators stormed a UN complex in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan.

Obama extended condolences to the families and relatives of the victims in Mazar-e Sharif, but also complained about the burning of the Quran.

"The desecration of a holy text... is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry," he said on Saturday in a statement released by the White House. "However, is attacking and killing innocent people in reaction outrageous, and an affront to human decency and would."

Besmellah Blanford painting, Kandahar provincial member, said hundreds Saturday in Kandahar, the Quran burn to protest gathered.

"The enemies of peace in Afghanistan today killed and injured in Kandahar, our people", said a statement from the Office of the Governor of Kandahar.

Jones sparked international controversy on the ninth anniversary of 11 September, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon last year as his Church in Gainesville, Florida, "International burn a Quran day" planned.

Jones Church not host a Quran burn on that day, but the Dove World Outreach Center website announced that a "International judges the Koran day" for last month set.

A picture of a burning book elsewhere showed on the website blog and read, "the event is over, the Qur'an was found guilty and a copy was burned in the building."

Condemnation of the UN Security Council for the Organization of the Islamic Conference generated the Mazari Sharif killings around the world, a 57-State group called the "collective voice of the Muslim world."

In a statement on Friday, Jones called the attack on the UN link "a very tragic and criminal action."

Lal Mohammad Ahmadzai, a spokesman for the police in Mazar-e Sharif, told reporters, a series of suspicious ", which may be the main organisers" were arrested.

The United Nations said, were the seven UN staff killed four Nepalese security forces and three civilians. A UN source said, the three civilians from Norway, Sweden and Romania.CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, Jay Mati and Tom Cohen on this report contributed

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Say Libyans is not likely to arm US 2 Cabinet officials

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates made his views for the first time on Thursday in a marathon day certificate known members of Congress. He said the United States should be made on communication, monitoring and other support, but suggested that the Administration had no problem with other countries to help send arms, the rebels, which forces withdrawal was in the last few days under attack by Pro-Qaddafi have.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, which the President in Libya intervention pushed, was described by an administration officials on Thursday as highly cautious about armament the rebels "because of the unknown" about who they were and whether she could have links to Al-Qaeda.

You allow earlier Thursday, the Secretary General of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters in Stockholm, that he believed that the UN Security Council resolution to authorize the air campaign in Libya not even has individual countries, to prepare the rebels. However, there was considerable disagreement within the military alliance, to arm them including the United States, which can be in fact the position, which has taken the resolution.

In Libya as the opposition forces a careful transfer began withdrawal the an atmosphere of paranoia in the capital Tripoli, after a panic on Wednesday, after the withdrawal of the Foreign Minister, Moussa Koussa.

Fears that the Government could be cracking were if a second top Libyan official, Ali Abdussalam el-Treki, übergelaufen Thursday after Egypt further deepened.

In Washington, the consistent position of Mr Gates and Mrs Clinton seemed a debate within the Administration about the benefits of the United States the arms of the rebels, a different, little known group stump. Publicly, Mr Obama has only said that he still weigh is what to do. France is the only State that said that you intended, forces deliver weapons, the anti-Qaddafi.

"What needs the opposition like all now some training, is some command and control, and some organization," armed services Committee in a morning session said Mr Gates members of the House. "It's pretty much a pickup ball game at this point."

But, he said, training and weapons is "not a unique function for the United States, and as far as I'm concerned, someone else can do."

Mr Gates told Congress that he bet heavily against all American forces in Libya. Asked whether it would be American "boots on the ground" - uniformed military - Mr Gates quickly replied, "not as long as I am in this job." He refused, address reports that the Central Intelligence Agency after Libya, to collect intelligence for military air strikes and to contact and the rebels veterinarian had sent secret agents.

Mr Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, summoned, in highly politicized testify atmosphere on Capitol Hill, where members of both parties with them either "Mission Creep" in Libya or does go not enough.

Many demanded to know how the conflict would end, and others warned the Administration, saying that it had gone without congressional approval for the war.

Still others said the President had said not the public the truth about the operation. The White House describes it as a humanitarian mission to protect of the Libyan civilians, but it has raised strafing more than 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles in Libya and the bombing and of the United States involved in and Allied aircraft of Colonel Qadhafi's forces ground.

"These are the fighting," said Representative Mike Coffman, Republican of Colorado, while in the morning. "I don't know why this Administration has been not honest with the American people, that this is about regime change."

He concluded, "This probably in U.S. military history is only the most muddled definition of an operation."

Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, was the first in the offensive in the afternoon, charge that the Administration with which go away from the conflict now, military support behind NATO will be that it said the United States in a role.

What does this mean, Admiral Mullen told Mr. McCain and the rest of the Senate Armed Services Committee, that the United States no more airstrikes in Libya, when will perform is called for by NATO.

"This would be a profound mistake with potentially disastrous consequences," Mr. McCain said. He said that withdrawing the muscle of the American military oust alignment policy goal with Mr Obama was Colonel Qadhafi.

"Hope is not a strategy," said Mr McCain, "and it will not affect certainly, armored units".

Mr Gates, ideologically all day found himself in the difficult position of having to defend a military action, the he unwillingly in were received in the first place.

Steven Lee Myers contributed reporting.

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