COMMERCIAL AVIATION AND TRANSPORTATION SECURITY TEAMWOKK PLAN

QUESTIONS v > «*%

1 Prior to September 1 1, 2001, what did the U.S. aviation security system know about
terrorist threats to civil aviation? How did the different elements of the system respond
to any such information in their possession? ^v^jWO« ^ ^ •&"* l^^^
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2. What aviation security policies and procedures were m effect as of September 1 1, 2001?
How did these measures comply with relevant laws and regulations?

3. What tactics and weapons did the 9/11 hijackers use to defeat the aviation security system
and procedures in place on September 11, 2001? What was the cause of the security
ilure or failures on that date: flaws in the design of the procedures; in the transmittal
uding dissemination and training); in the implementation; some combination; or
some other factor or factors?

4. What were the major policy and budgetary priorities for civil aviation security prior to
9/11/01? How was security prioritized among other aviation policy considerations? How
did the financing of the aviation security system impact that system?

What has changed with respect to civil aviation security policies and j^rocedures since
*,* 9/11/01? What further improvements are needed (including consideration of arming G- ]~
commercial aviation and other pilots; "trusted traveler" and "trusted shipper" programs;
CAPPS II and other individual profiling systems; background checks on transportation
employees; missile defense for civilian aircraft; and regulation of flight schools)?

6. Considering all transportation modes, what are our greatest security vulnerabilities in
priority order? How are such risks determined at present, and how should they be
determined? What should be the budgetary and policy priorities across all transportation
modes?

PART TWO: BRIEFING PLAN

COMMISSIONERS READING LIST

Congressional Research Service, Port and Maritime Security: Background and Issues for
Congress, February 5, 2003, 27 pages.

Congressional Research Service, Terrorism Briefing Book Summary on "Aviation Security"

March 2003, 7 pages.

General Accounting Office, testimony before Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and
Transportation, "Transportation Security Administration Faces Immediate and Long-Term
Challenges," My 25, 2002, 28 pages.

Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs Hearing on " Weak Links: How Should the
Federal Government Manage Airline Passenger and Baggage Screening!" September 25,
2001, 165 pages. See especially prepared testimony of FAA (pp. 65-73); DOT Inspector General
(pp. 74-86); GAO (pp. 87-104); Robert Baker, American Airlines (pp. 105-108); Paul Busick
(pp. 109-1 14); and Leonard Griggs, Director of Airports for St. Louis (pp. 1 15-124).
Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs Hearing on "Riding the Rails: How Secure Is
Our Passenger and Transit Infrastructure?" December 13, 2001,136 pages. See especially
prepared testimony of Federal Transit Administration (pp. 52-59); Washington Metropolitan
Area Transit Authority (pp. 60-74); and Amtrak (pp. 81-85).

Final Report of White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security ("Gore
Commission"), 1997. See especially "Chapter Three: Improving Security for Travelers" and
"Appendix I: Commissioner Cummock Dissent Letter." Also, DOT Status Report on White
House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security ("One Year Later"), February 1998, 11
pages.

Timelines for Hijacked 9/11/01 Flights at (includes

hyperlinks to relevant media accounts).

BRIEFERS FOR COMMISSIONERS

Secretary Norman Mineta, DOT (public briefing)

Admiral James Loy, TSA (public briefing)
Kenneth Mead, DOT Inspector General (public briefing)
Ray Kelly, Customs Service and Gore Commission member (public or private briefing)
Gerald Dillingham, GAO Director of Physical Infrastructure Issues (public or private briefing)
Robert Baker, American Airlines and Mineta Task Force member (public or private briefing)
Carol Hallett, former President, ATA (public or private briefing)
Stephen Flynn, Coast Guard and Council on Foreign Relations fellow (public or private briefing)

PART THREE: KEY DOCUMENT CATEGORIES (in descending order of priority)

1. Airport and Air Carrier Security Plans for Dulles, Logan and Newark airports, and
representative sample of others, pre- and post- 9/11 (TSA, FAA, relevant airport
authorities and airlines)
2. "After action" reports on 9/11 hijackings and immediate agency response (FAA, TSA,
other DOT, DOD, White House)
3. Flight recorder transcripts for 9/11/01 hijacked flights (FAA, TSA, NTSB); Air Traffic
Services Cell (ATSC) reports on 9/11/01 communications between FAA and DOD (FAA,
TSA); Flight Controller records on tracking of and communications with hijacked planes
(FAA); transcripts and other records of cockpit communications from hijacked planes
(FAA, TSA); transcripts and other records of 9/11/01 phone calls from Flight 11
attendants Ong and Sweeney (American Airlines); transcripts and other records of any
other 9/11/01 phone calls or other communications from passengers or crew on hijacked
planes (FAA, TSA, American Airlines, United Airlines); videotapes and any other
material (including logs, records and incident reports) about hijackers from airport and
airline security systems (FAA, TSA, American Airlines, United Airlines, security chiefs
from Dulles, Logan and Newark Airports; 9/11/01 screening companies for Dulles,
Logan and Newark)
4. Relevant TSA, FAA and DOT civil aviation security rules and regulations, pre- and post-
9/11 (DOT, TSA, FAA)
5. Civil aviation security procedural and training materials for passenger and baggage
screening, access to aircraft and secure areas of airports, and airplane hijackings, 2001-
present (FAA, TSA)
 6. Modal administrations' circulars and other communications on terrorist threats, 1995-
present (FAA, ISA, FTA, Coast Guard, etc.)
7. Executive Orders on transportation security, 1985-present (White House)
8. "Gore Commission" Final Report, and latest update (White House, DOT, TSA)
9. Administration requests and Congressional actions on aviation security program budgets,
1995-present (OMB, CBO)
10. Threat and vulnerability assessments for airports (FAA, TSA), ports (Coast Guard) and
mass transit systems (Federal Transit Administration)

PART FOUR: PROPOSED STAFF INTERVIEWS (in descending order of priority)

Kenneth Mead, DOT IG (federal response to transportation security threats pre- and post- 9/11)
Mike Canavan, former Assoc. Admin., Civil Aviation Security (immediate lead-up and aftermath of 9/11)
O.K. Steele, former Assoc. Admin., Civil Aviation Security (evolution of aviation security system)
RAdm. Paul Busick, former Dir. Intell and Security for DOT (evolution of transportation security system)
Adm. James Loy, TSA Administrator (same as for Mead)
Airline and Airport Security Officials for Dulles, Logan and Newark (9/11 events vs. current system)
Flight Controllers who tracked hijacked 9/11/01 flights
Representative of Air Traffic Services Cell (re 9/11/01 communications between FAA and NORAD)
9/11 Victims/Family representatives
Key stakeholder representatives (airports, pilots, flight attendants, etc.)
Congressional staff for Appropriations, Senate Commerce and House Transportation Committees
Secretary Norm Mineta, DOT (same as for Mead)
Gerald Dillingham, GAO (same as for Mead)
OMB Associate Director responsible for transportation security (transportation security budgeting)
Jane Garvey, former head of FAA (aviation security system response to pre- and post- 9/11 threats)
Jim Hall, former NTSB and Gore Commission (work and implementation of Gore Commission)
Bartholomew Elias, CRS Specialist on Aviation Security (current aviation security issues and options)
Cathleen Berrick, GAO Dir. Homeland Security (current transportation security issues and options)
Bogdan Dzakovic, FAA/TSA whistleblower (agency administrative shortcomings)
Lynn Osmus, former Dir. FAA Civil Aviation Security (evolution of transportation security system)
Joe Lawless, MA Ports Authority and former head of security for Logan (airport perspective)
Brian Jenkins, Kroll Associates (aviation security/terrorism expert)
John Hamre, former DOD and now head of CSIS (DOD preparation for 9/11-type scenarios)
Mary Schiavo, former DOT IG and now attorney for 9/11 families (shortcomings in fed. Security efforts)
John Fritelli, CRS Specialist on Maritime Security (current port security issues and options)
Trixie Johnson, Research Dir. Mineta Transportation Institute (transit and rail security issues)