據美國媒體報道，荷蘭政府12月30日宣布，荷蘭將立即開始對飛往美國的乘客啟用全身掃描安檢設備，以防止今后再出現類似今年圣誕節炸機未遂事件的襲擊。”穆塔拉布25日從尼日利亞飛抵荷蘭阿姆斯特丹，在斯希普霍爾機場通過了安全檢查并登上飛往美國底特律的飛機。

Netherlands uses full-body scanners for airports security checks

Dutch authorities are insisting the country uses full-body scanners for security checks at airports, despite concerns about invasion of privacy.

Following the failed attempt to bomb a Delta Airlines plane destined to the US, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam will have the new devices to scan US-bound passengers.

It's a tough call but security concerns eventually override privacy worries.

The Dutch authorities say normal metal detectors failed to detect the explosives Nigerian suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was carrying, allowing him to board the Delta Airlines flight.

Guusje Ter Horst, Dutch Interior Minister, said, "The security gates that we have at our disposal now only detect metal objects and therefore we apply random body searches. This system is of course not fool-proof and that is why we have decided to make use of scanners at Schiphol for flights to the United States."

Neither the European Union or the US had earlier approved the routine use of a full-body scanner. Many passengers have also objected to its use, because radio waves generate a picture of the body through a person's clothing to spot hidden weapons or packages.

The new scanner, however, will have a new software which projects a processed image onto a computer screen rather than the original body picture.

The Dutch government has also given information about its investigation into the attempted attack on the US plane over Christmas.

Guusje Ter Horst, Dutch Interior Minister, said, "The first conclusions of the investigation are that the preparations for the failed attack were fairly professional, but that the execution was amateurish. Secondly, the explosives used were neither easy to handle nor risk-free to prepare. "

The Dutch security authorities have stressed the use of full-body scanners is necessary as they believe there is a new security threat... The warning follows recent information that the Nigerian suspect had links with Al Qaeda.