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US Airport Screeners Missed 95% of Weapons, Explosives In Undercover Tests
An anonymous reader writes: An internal investigation by the TSA found that 95% of agents testing airport checkpoints were able to bring weapons through. In one case, an alarm sounded, but during the pat down, the screener failed to detect a fake plastic explosive taped to the undercover agent's back. ABC reports: "Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was apparently so frustrated by the findings he sought a detailed briefing on them last week at TSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, according to sources. U.S. officials insisted changes have already been made at airports to address vulnerabilities identified by the latest tests. 'Upon learning the initial findings of the Office of Inspector General's report, Secretary Johnson immediately directed TSA to implement a series of actions, several of which are now in place, to address the issues raised in the report,' the DHS said in a written statement to ABC News."
Sometimes I think the governments are simply trying to spend themselves into the kind of debt that breaks the banking system. But that doesn't seem to be happening.
...Steve
It was about creating another welfare program.
Cheese and rice!
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.
Ernest Hemingway
I've seen various comments/analysis on other sites about how unsafe this makes people feel. My response was completely the opposite: security is completely ineffective yet it's quite rare for terrorists to blow up airliners. Conclusion: terrorists don't pose a massive threat to our safety and we can do away with all the infringements of our liberties made in the name of safety from terrorists.
Although, no doubt, the government will see it as an excuse to make airport security fondle your bollocks for a minimum of 30 seconds; after all, we've got to stop all those terrorists that aren't blowing up planes from blowing up planes!
nothing happened ...
It's in the testers' interests to beat the system, and they know what all of the protocols and technologies involved are. Unlike a terrorist, they also don't need to use real munitions, or carry anything that would be practical for the previous or next phase of their plan. The testers also are just devising the hardest tests they can, instead of trying to imitate the methods utilized by the people they're supposed to be training the checkpoints to spot. They're specifically targeting known weaknesses. A high failure rate is their objective!
It's a possibly a good process but we can't write off the system as ineffective because of this result. It's just clickbait. "You're not safe!!! Monsters lurk behind every door!!!"
The difference in your example compared to the TSA is that even the Greek regular were professionals taking reasonable steps with proper training while the TSA has minimal training on ineffective measures of people who basically would otherwise likely be unemployable. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to outsmart a TSA agent as people regularly get stuff past them that should easily have been caught by the old methods of screening and more so by the current ones. There was a story a while back about the number of people accidentally getting their firearms past the TSA. These were likely people who had a carry permit and just automatically carry their firearm everywhere without thinking about it, much like you do with your wallet, watch, phone, etc. as it is something done automatically without thinking.
Time to offend someone
It's impossible to stop all terrorists. We're simply reacting to the last attack, because there's no realistic way to stop the next one.
Profiling might be somewhat useful, but it's doubtful. Disallowing large/serious weapons on a plane is a good thing simply because, without some amplification of strength, the numbers are wildly against any single attacker. Simple security is sufficient.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
Yeah. This is important! If you have a gallon bottle of dangerous explosive liquids you must dump it to the trashcan at the checkpoint. Yes, the one that is by the long queue of people waiting to get through the check. That trashcan is made of superplastic than neutralizes all dangerous substances. Watch out citizen! Have your passport ready! Don't have too much liquids ready! (unless you keep it in your pocket, hand, or anywhere the security won't notice)
What you're saying is that most criminals are dumb, and that's why security manages to catch them. Smart criminals are unlikely to get caught.
If we accept that as true, and if we are willing to accept that life is never totally risk free, then all of TSA and Homeland Security could be abolished. Then the rest of the world could also stop complying with the idiotic restrictions (liquids, etc.) initiated by the US.
Anyway, there is absolutely no evidence that security today is any better than it was pre-9/11. Without the security theater, we would save such huge amounts of time. I still remember fondly being able to show up at the airport 30 minutes before flight departure, show my ticket, walk onto the airplane. That's the way is was, and the way it should be again.
Enjoy life! This is not a dress rehearsal.
According to this poll http://www.harrisinteractive.c..., about 57% of frequent flyers believe the current TSA procedures are making it safer to fly. The other 43% recognize them for the theatrics that they are.
Sure, they find their fair share of fake novelty hand grenades and medieval weaponry in checked baggage. They even once saved a plane from the pudding cup my daughter left in her backpack (which naturally earned her a pat-down). But what the TSA was really doing was keeping a major mode of transportation operational for a brief time of uncertainty. As with all things government, the project's scope began to creep and pockets got lined while we stood in a line to have our pockets felt by a creep.
57% think the TSA is money well spent. That is the metric by which the TSA measures itself.
I'm sorry, but your opinion seems to be wrong.
So do CEOs and politicians.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Not to mention keeping our airplanes safe from containers of liquid larger than 3.4 ounces. Who knows what a terrorist might do if he smuggled 4 ounces of shampoo aboard a plane!
That could be a bomb, throw it in the garbage over there!
Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
...and whenever anyone attempts to raise awareness to these issues (Snowden, for example), we just throw them to the wolves.