Interpol chief: Air travel 'scares me'

Ron Noble

NEW YORK – Security for international travelers is close to breaking down completely, according to an expert in the field.

"What scares me as your secretary-general is that 500 million people traveled internationally last year without having their passports screened against Interpol's database. Think of that next time you board a plane," said Interpol chief Ron Noble to business leaders and government employees in New York this week.

Interpol is the international police organization headquartered in Lyon, France. The former New York University law professor, now in his second five-year term, has led the world body since 2000.

Noble lamented that the current situation has deteriorated to the point where criminals often find it easier to cross borders than Interpol officials:

TRENDING: Take heart, patriots! These 3 House members are the future of the GOP

"It is at best ironic and at worst dangerous that Interpol officials sometimes have a more difficult time crossing borders than the criminals we're pursuing."

This comes despite increased security at U.S. airports where activities directed by the Transportation Security Administration are not always coordinated with Interpol.

U.S. air traffic, it was explained, is a small portion of the still largely unregulated international air-transportation system.

The industry trade group Airports Council International puts North American traffic just above 12 percent of worldwide activity.

A major hindrance to effective international police "cooperation" is the fact that Interpol officials, unlike their United Nations counterparts, do not enjoy unfettered diplomatic transit.

In most instances, Interpol officers must await clearances by local authorities before they can enter a country.

Noble says a pilot program, now under way at the World Cup in South Africa, would provide his personnel with a special "visa identity card" to allow quick and timely transit.

Four nations have accepted the visa card, with 23 more considering it.

Noble declined to say whether the U.S. is one of those considering the program.

Interpol, with 188 member nations, is second only to the U.N., which has 192 members.

Another program Noble is experimenting with is what he called "virtual borders."

The system is currently being used to check attendees at the World Cup.

The checks are being expanded to hotels and banks.

"If we don't get you at the airport or the border crossings we can still screen you at a venue or hotel," said Noble.

A less sophisticated system has been used by the Secret Service at the Super Bowl and World Series.

While some may liken the Interpol system to a modern-day version of "Big Brother," the secretary-general insists that his organization has vastly improved security, especially inside the United States:

"Just in 2002, the U.S. searches of our database was 2000 hits. ... Last year, U.S. searches numbered 79 million hits. ... We need to be able to quickly identify those who could pose a threat to our safety and, conversely, we need to be able to identify those who pose no risk to our safety."

One case in particular was the recent arrest of Johan van der Sloot. The Aruban fugitive and onetime suspect in the disappearance of American Natalee Holloway was apprehended in Chile and returned to Peru with Interpol assistance, said Noble.

Another incident occured off the Israeli coast. During the controversial Turkish flotilla attempt to reach Gaza, three Pakistani journalists went missing.

Interpol agents, together with Israeli and Jordanian police, were able to respond to Pakistani requests to track them down, he said. He added that cooperation among all the police authorities was "excellent."

Interpol, he added, is often able to bridge certain gulfs the U.N. cannot, because his organization is "professional rather than political."

"We are the world's most democratic institution. ... We have a one-country, one-vote system. ... We have no Security Council and no right to veto. ... We are able to achieve police-to-police cooperation even on occasions when governments do not or can't (cooperate)."