Federal security measures likely to intensify

12:04 PM CDT on Sunday, June 3, 2007
By TOD ROBBERSON / The Dallas Morning News


WASHINGTON — The list of hassles already pushes American travelers to the limits of their patience: Remove shoes and jacket. Take off belt. Place hair gel and after-shave in plastic bag. Put laptop in separate tray. Present photo ID. Walk through scanner.

But aAbove all, do not complain because they can make you do it all over again.

If anything, federal inspections and intrusions for people citizens and businesses are only going to get worse, according to top Homeland Security and counterterrorism specialists in Washington. In interviews, they said the threat of a major terrorist attack, taking advantage of remaining security gaps, remains too high for Americans to let down their guard.

Passport requirements for vacationers heading to the Caribbean this summer are only the start of tighter security measures, said Michael Chertoff, secretary of the homeland securitysecretary. New initiatives will require the screening of ships, air cargo, boats and private planes, he said.

Dallas a key spot

Dallas can expect its own share of new hassles as it becomes an increasingly important nexus for rail, sea, air and truck -cargo traffic, according to other security specialists. Other major cities are gearing up for requirements that will tighten monitoring of chemical shipments of chemicals and other hazardous materials.

Many metropolitan areas, including from southern Florida, Los Angeles and New York, have assigned police representatives to a new counterterrorism operations center in Washington to better prepare themselves if the nation goes on high alert.

“I think it would be a big mistake to dismiss the lesson of 9/11. It was bad enough when people said that before 9/11 there was a failure of imaginationâ€