U.S. authorities are checking large airports to see how vulnerable airliners might be to shoulder-launched missiles, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Citing law enforcement authorities and an airport official, the newspaper said FBI and Transportation Security Administration officials began visiting airports in the past week. By studying the airports, authorities are trying to figure out where someone might position himself for an attack, the newspaper said. Authorities say the FBI-TSA assessments will be done at about 80 airports in coming weeks. “We’re looking at the layout of the airport,” one FBI agent familiar with the visits told the Journal. That includes everything from flight paths to buildings and open areas in the vicinity of the airport, according to the newspaper. U.S. intelligence officials have no “credible, specific information” pointing to a future attack on U.S. civilian airliners, a Department of Homeland Security official told the newspaper. Areas of concern include airports with public parks or large bodies of water near runways, such as Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles International, from which an attack could be launched by boat. Full Story
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