On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin that warned the incoming airline flights from overseas may be attacked by passengers wearing explosives in their shoes. Apparently the bulletin did not name a particular airline or a window of time when the attack would be expected. Internal domestic flights were not mentioned as hazardous. The Department warned airline screeners to use their explosive detection swabs on passengers’ shoes more frequently. Fox News reports that the harsher security measures are supposed to be used at overseas airports but not domestically, passengers flying back to the U.S. should not be surprised to be patted down.
Just recently Homeland Security issued a warning to airlines flying to Russia that they should be assiduous in looking for explosive devices possibly hidden inside toothpaste. After that, the Transportation Security Administration banned liquids in carry-on luggage traveling directly from U.S. to Russia. These actions directly preceded the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Taking off shoes at airport security before flying has been standard operating procedure in the United States since Richard Reid had explosives hidden in his shoes on a flight to Miami in late 2001.
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