Gaps still remain in security

WASHINGTON -- When a man recently stowed away in a cargo plane from New York to Dallas by shipping himself in a wooden crate, it raised questions about transportation security nearly two years after terrorists turned jetliners into missiles.\nLawmakers say gaps remain, despite many improvements since the Sept. 11 attacks. They cite security loopholes at the nation's ports and the potential threat that a missile could hit an airliner on takeoff or landing at airports.\n"Transportation security is at its highest level ever, particularly aviation security," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Tuesday. "However, we need to remain vigilant across all modes of transportation."\nTwo months after the 2001 attacks, Congress created the Transportation Security Administration to protect aviation, shipping and transit. The agency was given dozens of deadlines, mostly dealing with air travel.\nMany of the deadlines were met, including the hiring of passenger and baggage screeners, checking of all bags for explosives and requiring background checks for airport workers.\nStill, Peter Guerrero, director of physical infrastructure questions for the General Accounting Office, said much more needs to be done.\nGuerrero, whose agency is the investigative arm for Congress, testified before McCain's committee that it could cost hundreds of billions of dollars to secure the country's transportation network -- 3.9 million miles of roads, 600,000 bridges, 361 ports and more than 5,000 public-use airports.\nHe said more federal money is needed, and federal agencies need to coordinate their efforts better to eliminate duplication.