Leaders seek efficient security

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Heightened airport security is here to stay, but world leaders looking to better protect against terrorism say they also want to let travelers who pose no threat pass more easily through checkpoints.

Leaders at this week’s summit meeting are considering a plan that says in spite of tougher security measures and better intelligence cooperation, “Terrorist attacks against the transportation system remain a serious threat.”

Officials want quicker exchanges of information about passengers, better protected flight decks and controls on shoulder-fired missiles that terrorists could use to shoot down commercial jets, according to a draft of the plan.

President Bush’s counterterrorism chief, Frances Townsend, said the proposals also aim to speed the flow of legitimate travelers.

But she acknowledged that heavy security, now the norm, will not disappear.

“We are never going to go back, but we can take some of the anxiety and aggravation out of it,” she said in an interview. “Security will always be first, but there’s got to be a way to have those security measures as targeted as you possibly can.”

Aside from the United States, the G-8 includes Italy, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Canada and Russia — all countries where air travel is a major form of transportation.

In the draft agreement, G-8 leaders pledge to respect privacy rules as they seek better and faster information about travelers — responding to critics concerned that personal data may be misused.