According to new reports, the United States has just recently announced a new security measure to replace the mandatory screening of air travelers from 14 countries that angered some allies when it was imposed after a failed bombing on Christmas Day. These measures are now designed to significantly reduce the number of passengers pulled aside for additional screening and will not be based on nationality or passport. It will now be based on characteristics pulled together by intelligence agencies.

Janet Napolitano, the Homeland Security Secretary, said that these new measures utilize real time, threat-based intelligence, random layers of security, both seen and of course unseen. These new measures are more effective than previous ones.

One senior administration official said that the new system would require travelers who match information about terrorism suspects, such as a physical description, name or travel pattern, to undergo additional screening. Thus, it is much more tailored to what the intel is telling officials. This is, of course, opposed to stopping all individuals of a particular nationally or all individuals using a particular passport.

The names of terrorism suspects identified in the United States will continue to be included on security watch lists and no fly lists as part of airline security. This new policy, however, affects all travelers coming into the United States from abroad. Questions have been raised about why Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the man who tried to blow up a United States bound jet, was not stopped before he got on his flight.

As of now there are 14 on the United States list of state sponsors of terrorism. This includes Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia.