米空軍基地ホームレス侵入、５時間にわたり自由に散策

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】米アンドルーズ空軍基地にホームレスの男が侵入した事件で、男が何重もの警備を突破し、5時間にわたって基地内を自由に散策していたことが分かった。米空軍が11日、明らかにした。（写真は米メリーランド州のアンドルーズ空軍基地で、大統領専用機に乗り込むジョー・バイデン大統領）
　空軍の監察総監の報告書によると、アンドルーズ空軍基地で２月４日、侵入者が滑走路上に駐機されていたＣ４０輸送機に乗り込んだが、大統領専用機エアフォースワンや国防長官が使用するボーイング７４７型機に近づくことはなかった。
　首都ワシントンのすぐ南に位置する同基地は、大統領や国防長官、政府高官のほか、外国の要人も使用するため、常に厳戒態勢が敷かれている。
　報告書によると、男は有効な入場許可証を持っていなかったが、警備員が個人的な問題に気を取られたために正門を通過。さらに、故障中の自動式ゲートを通って滑走路に侵入。Ｃ４０型機の中で訓練中の乗組員２人に目撃されたが、放置された。
　男はＣ４０型機から降りた後、ターミナルに戻ったところでようやく警備員に拘束された。
　男は「飛行機を見たかったから基地に来た」と供述。車上生活をするホームレスで、多数の逮捕歴があるが、報告書は危害を加える意図はなかったと結論付けており、訴追されるかどうかは明らかになっていない。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/03/15-12:26）

A homeless man spent five hours last month freely roaming the military base where the US president's plane is kept, after easily passing through several layers of security, the Air Force admitted Thursday.
The Air Force inspector general said in a report on the February 4 incident that the unauthorized intruder at Joint Base Andrews made his way onto a C-40 transport plane on the tarmac, but did not get close to Air Force One or the secretary of defense's dedicated Boeing 747s.
The base, just south of Washington, is where the president, defense secretary, and other top officials fly from for official business.
It is also the arrival point for visiting VIPs like foreign heads of state.
For that reason security is always tight.
Yet the unidentified man was able to drive onto the base and spend five hours there at a food court, in the VIP terminal, and elsewhere before he drew attention.
That was despite signs he did not know where he was, and his unique appearance: On his head, he had a bright red or pink cap that partially covered his ears and had distinctive balls on top that looked a little like mouse ears, according to the otherwise heavily redacted report.
The inspector general faulted first a guard at the main gate who, distracted by personal problems and obstructed by Covid-19 practices, let the man through despite his lack of valid credentials.
In a second failure, the man walked onto the tarmac due to a malfunctioning automatic gate.
In a third breach, he boarded the C-40, seen but ignored by two aircrew undergoing training.
After he got off the aircraft he returned to the terminal where his suspicious behavior finally drew attention. Security officers arrested him.
Air Force Inspector General Sami Said assured that the man never got close to Air Force One, parked at a distant location and protected by more intense layers of security.
The report concluded that the man was homeless, lived in his car, and despite an extensive arrest record showed no intent to do harm.
During questioning, he simply said he came on base because he wanted to see airplanes, according to the report.
It was not known if the man will face charges.