BELLEVUE, WA – John Magaw’s resignation today as Under Secretary of
Transportation for Security was hailed by the Citizens Committee for the
Right to Keep and
Bear Arms, which called Magaw a “major roadblock in the arming of
commercial airline pilots, a critical last line of defense for airplane
crews and passengers, and people
on the ground.”

“While Mr. Magaw has had a long and distinguished career in federal law
enforcement,” said CCRKBA Executive Director Joe Waldron, “it is clear
from his position on
arming pilots that he was out of step with both Congress and the
American people.”

Magaw had steadfastly opposed arming pilots as a measure against
terrorists seizing control of the cockpit and repeating the atrocities
of last Sept. 11. The former chief of
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and before that head of the
Secret Service, Magaw has been a career bureaucrat with strong anti-gun
credentials. The June
10 issue of Gun Week featured an editorial by Executive Editor Joseph P.
Tartaro, calling for Magaw’s removal.

Waldron hoped Magaw’s departure would pave the way for what he called a
“more realistic attitude on the subject of armed pilots from the White
House.”

“President Bush,” Waldron said, “has been reluctant to support the
arming of pilots, possibly because of resistance from Magaw, and from
Transportation Secretary
Norman Mineta and Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge. Congress
overwhelmingly supports the idea, as demonstrated by the recent House
vote on armed pilots
legislation. The traveling public wants armed pilots, and so do heads of
various pilots’ associations and the overwhelming majority of pilots
surveyed in recent polling.”

Recalling that CCRKBA took the lead on calling for armed pilots within
hours of the Sept. 11 attacks, Waldron observed, “Clearly, public
sentiment supported our position
and certainly guided the House vote, with Magaw, Mineta and Ridge
erecting artificial roadblocks that amounted to little more than a
flimsy sham, disguising their animosity
toward firearms and armed self defense.

“We’re hopeful that Admiral James Loy, who replaces Magaw, will adopt a
more reasonable position, and consider armed pilots as a key element in
a comprehensive
airline security program,” Waldron said.