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Australia delays more air cargo screening
SYDNEY, Dec 7 (WorldACD) - Australian transport authorities have backed away from key anti-terrorism measures after being advised increased screening of air cargo on passenger flights could jeopardise exports and threaten some industries.
After British expert John Wheeler warned in his 2005 security review that explosives could be packed into air cargo and go undetected, the Howard government vowed to introduce mandatory explosives trace detection (ETD) on all exports by March this year and was planning similar controls on domestic flights.
But The Weekend Australian has learned the regulatory scheme to allow ETD was not in place until September and the Transport Department is not yet willing to make it mandatory for exports, let alone domestic flights.
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