Leaked airport screening manual embarrasses US government - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The US Government is probing how a manual on airport screening procedures was leaked on Internet. The outdated manual provides answers to questions like - Who gets more scrutiny in line? What countries' passports are singled out? Who's exempt from screening? According to the document dated May 28, 2008, passengers from Cuba, North Korea, Libya and a number of other countries must undergo additional screening. The document offers examples of identification documents that screeners accept, including congressional, federal air marshal and CIA ID cards; and it explains that diplomatic pouches and certain foreign dignitaries with law enforcement escorts are not subjected to any screening at all. It said certain methods of verifying identification documents aren't used on all travelers during peak travel crushes. Many passengers expressed concern about the leaking of the document online. "You don't want discrimination against a certain country or against a certain population group or a certain group of people but if you don't profile, then I think you're missing the boat. You're not being realistic," Fox News quoted Bob Boswellin, a passenger, as saying. The Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Kristin Lee said that the posting was improper because sensitive information was not properly protected.