Newark Liberty International Airport is going to be the first airport in the region to be equipped with full body x-ray scanners that allow security officers to see hidden contraband — and everything else beneath passengers' clothing. The plan to install the costly and invasive anti-terrorism devices comes after a man attempted to blow up an airplane as it landed in Detroit on Christmas with explosives stitched into his underwear.
According to the Daily News, the new machines — which retail for about $170,000 apiece — "could keep terrorists like the undie bomber from boarding planes." Transportation Security Administration officials told the Star-Ledger that about 150 full body scanners will be installed in airports throughout the country this year, and Newark will likely be among the first to receive the devices because it is one of the country's busiest airports, and because one of the planes used in the 9/11 attacks departed from the airport.
The full body x-ray machines will be installed in Terminal B, which handles international arrivals and domestic flights on carriers including Delta and Northwest. Full-body scanners are already in use at 19 airports across the country including Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, though they have come under fire from the American Civil Liberties Union, which has called them "a virtual strip search."
