Pentagon resists tighter base access rules

[unhappycamper]

Pentagon resists tighter base access rules
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 6:30:31 EDT

The Defense Department wants congressional negotiations to scale back on plans to improve base security because of worries that making it too hard for legitimate visitors to get onto installations could be disruptive without necessarily making anyone safer.

At issue is a provision of the House version of the 2008 defense authorization bill that would prohibit unescorted civilians, including vendors, contractor employees and visitors, from being allowed on a military base without first undergoing a background check.

Under the House proposal, the background investigation would have to include checks of the FBI’s criminal files, the Homeland Security Department’s terrorist watch list, a search for outstanding warrants and verification of citizenship.

The provision was added to the bill after the discovery in May of a plot by a group of New Jersey men to launch at attack on Fort Dix by using free access to the base that had been granted to pizza delivery vehicles.

In a letter to lawmakers detailing disagreements with pending legislation, defense officials said the House plan “would impose exceptionally onerous requirements” on military installations, and asked that it be dropped during negotiations to write a compromise bill.

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Other problems listed include the possible end of food deliveries to barracks or to people working late; problems getting taxis, tow trucks and repair services onto installations; and an end to civilian traffic through bases, such as the buses that travel through Fort Belvoir, Va., and the train station at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/10/military_basevisits_restrictions_071030w/