U.S. government alerts airlines to look out for explosives in shoes

The U.S. government is paying particular attention to security. It has been revealed that terrorists are attempting to hide explosives in shoes, a result of

new intelligence. Terror groups have been working on new shoe-bomb designs said sources.

Airlines have been warned to lookout for explosives hidden in shoes on flights from overseas to the United States. A separate intelligence official underscored the warning was issued out of a sense of heightened caution.

DHS often issues these alerts out of an abundance of caution, but this does not necessarily rise to the level of facilitating a response,” the intelligence official said. There is no specific threat. Terrorism experts say airlines continue to be a target of terrorists wishing to make a spectacular impact with an attack. The focus on security since 2001 has shifted from hijackings to bombs, especially those that might be hidden in luggage.

In December 2001, just weeks after the 9/11 attacks, passengers aboard an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami thwarted another passenger’s attempt to detonate explosives hidden in his sneakers. Richard Reid, a British citizen, pleaded guilty and is serving a life sentence.

A failed attempt to blow up an overseas flight heading to Detroit on Christmas Day in 2009 involved a bomb concealed in a passenger’s underwear.

Current Transportation Security Administration policy requires passengers going through security checkpoints to take off their shoes to be X-rayed.

DHS is not making any changes to passenger requirements, though travelers may notice additional searches, including swabs to detect explosives, according to a law enforcement official.

The alert warned there would be increased scrutiny of people who appear on the TSA’s “selectee list,” which includes people deemed suspicious who could warrant additional screening and randomly picking people.