Air travel to US gets more oppressive for passengers from 14 nations

Washington: Newly instituted security procedures, starting Monday, will get more oppressive for all travellers flying into the US from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and nine other 'high risk' countries as all passengers from these destinations will now be patted down and also have their carry-on luggage searched.

Body imaging at airports. Image: TSA

In addition, all international passengers will see enhanced random screening, which may include pat-downs, explosive detection testing (swabbing of luggage) or body scans, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced Sunday.

The new procedures, which are drawing widespread criticism, have been instituted following a failed Christmas Day attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound US airliner blamed by a Nigerian national. US officials say the man was trained by al-Qaida in Yemen.

Travellers from Pakistan are an obvious target as the country plays host to the largest congregation of terrorist organisations ever assembled at any place at one time. Its border with Afghanistan is also a key battleground in the US-led battle against al-Qaida and the Taliban.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen are on the list as "other countries of interest". Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria are previously listed as they are singled out as "state sponsors of terrorism" by the US State Department.

"The new directive includes long-term, sustainable security measures developed in consultation with law enforcement officials and our domestic and international partners," the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said in a statement.