Airport security to focus more on finding explosives

WASHINGTON -- The government's decision to allow airline passengers to carry small scissors is part of a broader shift in airport security, focusing more on keeping explosives off planes and less on stopping another attack like that of Sept. 11, 2001.

Representative John Mica, Republican of Florida, chairman of the House Transportation Committee's aviation panel, applauded the decision as a welcome change in the mindset of the Transportation Security Administration.

''They're trying to shift from shaking down little old ladies with scissors and knitting needles to looking at what the real threats are," Mica said. ''Explosives are my major concern."

TSA chief Kip Hawley plans a major policy speech tomorrow in which he will outline security changes. Among them: Passengers will be allowed to carry scissors less than 4 inches long and wrenches and screwdrivers less than 7 inches long, according to a Homeland Security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the complete list has not been made public.

Flight attendants and the families of Sept. 11 victims object to the plan. ''The devastating effects of 9/11 showed the world how a simple box cutter could become a deadly weapon in the hands of the wrong person," said Patricia Friend, president of the Association of Flight Attendants.

Mica and other supporters say security enhancements since 2001 make it far less likely that hijackers could commandeer a jet and crash it into a building. Improvements include the hiring of government screeners and the deployment of undercover air marshals.