Washington, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), author of the provision in the law that requires screening of all cargo carried on passenger planes, issued the following statement in response to reports that confirm that the bomb from Yemen found in a toner cartridge last month at an English airport was timed to detonate over the United States:

“International cooperation was key to diffusing this bomb, but intelligence alone is not sufficient to ensure that the next Al Qaeda attack on our nation will be neutralized in the nick of time. The fact remains that aviation is still at the top of Al Qaeda’s terrorist target list. We have no guarantee that our allies will get advance warning of the next attack or pass it on to us in a timely fashion.

“There is no snooze button for an alarm clock strapped to a bomb. We must heed the lessons learned from last month's attempted attack and ensure that we close the gaps in our aviation security system, including the screening of all cargo on cargo planes. Which is why when Congress reconvenes, I plan to introduce legislation to mandate 100% screening for air carriers that transport only cargo.”

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