Brussels attacks shed light on vulnerable U.S. airport "soft targets"
Stepped up security in the wake of the Brussels attacks could be the new normal for travelers across the U.S.
The pair of explosions at Brussels Airport happened near the check-in desks in the departures hall, outside the more secure area where travelers pass through security screeners. This has sparked a debate over how to better protect these often-crowded spaces, reports CBS News correspondent Kris Van Cleave.
In the aftermath of the Brussels bombings, a team of heavily armed customs officers patrolled the sprawling Miami airport. Outside New York's JFK Airport, officers checked vehicles as they arrived at the terminal. And the busy Denver airport was evacuated for a time Tuesday to investigate a security threat near the American Airlines counter.
Travelers admit the whole situation is unnerving.
"Any day there's an attack, I think it makes you a little bit more nervous," Meghan Cuddihy said.
"I've never even seen machine guns in general and there's police officers with machine guns right over there," said another traveler.
Similar scenes played out at train stations and subways, from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.
"Subway stations, rail stations, trains, buses, public transportation have always been soft targets," said John Pistole, a former TSA administrator.
New York is a prime example of that.
"We're a city of 8.5 million people, with thousands of locations where large numbers of people congregate, so the idea of trying to protect all of that -- it's not possible," said NYPD Commissioner William Bratton. "So ... the idea of intelligence-gathering, trying to act before the fact, get them before they take action, is so critical."
The Brussels attacks showed how vulnerable the unsecured areas of airports can be as well.
"Airports want to be seen as inviting places where people can come in have a meal, shop," Pistole said.
Creating a larger secured area at airports was considered after the 2013 shooting of a TSA officer at LAX. But Patrick Gannon, the chief of the Los Angeles Airport police, said there's no easy answer.
"The problem is, wherever you move them, that then becomes the target," Gannon said.
In New York City, heavily armed teams of officers have already made their presence known in the subway. Some passengers even had their bags searched.
"For a terrorist, any confined space where there is lesser security looks like an inviting target," said Ron Hosko, former assistant director of the FBI. "I think Europe is a very risky proposition right now. And this is going to be an ongoing battle - this may be the new normal."