The SPOT program has so far mainly been used to combat conventional crime

Regardless of the quality of future detection systems installed at the points of embarkation at airports, the Agency US federal air security, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), won't them fully trust. First of all that a priori because, even with the current sophisticated liquid explosives detectors, it would have been virtually impossible to determine the different liquids that were planning to take on board the terrorists suspected in the plot of Heathrow, London Airport as dangerous. Of course, General Electric is working on a version of its "checkpoint of the future": its software will be able to remember the liquid scanned boarding and trigger an alert when it has determined that the association of several of them can become explosive. At best, this terminal will not be deployed in the major international airports before several years.

In the meantime, many security specialists suggest to focus on passengers themselves. "Until now, too, emphasis was placed on technology, then the terrorists seek always to have advance technology," said Rafi Ron, former head of security at Ben-Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, and responsible for a company of Aviation Safety Council, New Age Aviation.

In fact, TSA has begun to implement a program of observation of passengers at several major US airports (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc.). Called SPOT (Screening Passengers by Observation Techniques), it is to train personnel to determine, among the crowd of passengers arriving at the airport, which are suspicious behaviour. Naturally, the American authorities ensure that it is in no way to select these suspect potential on their race or their facies. "Staff are thoroughly trained and highly monitored themselves," said George Naccara, one of the SPOT to TSA program.

Raise contradictions

Clue that could lead to questioning a passenger include for example the fact that it could be dressed too warmly to room temperature. Or that he is agitated. In this case, the TSA agents pose him a series of questions, often trivial to identify inconsistencies or discomfort. Which can then lead to questioning further on the part of the police or the FBI.

The SPOT program has so far mainly been used to combat conventional crime. And in fact, it would have already allowed the arrest of some drug traffickers and other holders of forged papers. But not (yet) of international terrorists.

If an extension of this program is planned as a result of the new terrorist threats updates in early August in London, the US authorities are preparing also a variant of these techniques of "profiling" of individuals, who appealed, this time, a new technology of origin Israeli.

Compare answers types

A start-up created three years ago by former practitioners of military intelligence, Suspect Detection Systems (SDS), has developed a unique in the world, called Cogito 1002 terminal. It consists of a touch screen and a small sensor on which the user raises his finger for the duration of the test. The system is a computer equipped with a powerful database and an original expert system developed by SDS engineers. The principle of operation is to ask questions to the suspicious passenger and analyze the answers. But the start-up officials defend to have developed the "anti-terrorist" of lie-detector version. "Our system is not trying to unmask a liar but to detect someone who is afraid of being caught", explains Shabtai Shoval, co-founder of SDS. Indeed, there are techniques to deceive a classical lie detector while the designers of the Cogito, it is impossible to hide the fear to be unmasked, a fear common to all terrorists.

To unmask, System subjects pose issues related to their motivations and their employment time (why they travel, participated in meetings with terrorists, etc.). If the sensor on which the finger is based permanently converts digital signals their emotions during the test, the software goes further. It compares indeed responses to type answers and search keywords containing a priori stronger emotional load. Naturally, the SDS officials do not say that publicly but provide have already tested the system in Israel with a success rate of 95, according to Shabtai Shoval. Recently, the firm concluded an agreement with the TSA to conduct a first test in full-scale at an American airport. According to the Wall Street Journal, this experiment even already took place, during the summer, in the small airport of Knowville, in Tennessee.

Even if the device is performing and the test lasts only five minutes, will we soon see this kind of sensor placed on each passenger international airport A $ 200,000 unit, it would mean a much greater investment that the deployment of such terminals should include other expenses related to the reorganization of all boarding procedures.

In any event, the authorities seem to actually decided to do everything possible to strengthen the security of the flights, whether it is the control of the baggage or passengers. And above all, ready to combine new technologies with purely human skills through extensive training of personnel capable of detecting a priori suspicious behaviour. But, even if the security level is actually relieved, the risk is to discourage a lot of passengers to fly, because of too restrictive procedures. "We have already reached the limit," considers as Rod Diridon, one of the leaders of the San Jose International Airport security program, South of Silicon Valley.

Already in financial difficulties since September 11, 2001, American airlines would not stand in a significant decrease in the number of passengers.