Via Bruce Schneier and Tyler Durden:
An internal investigation of the Transportation Security Administration revealed security failures at dozens of the nation’s busiest airports, where undercover investigators were able to smuggle mock explosives or banned weapons through checkpoints in 95 percent of trials, ABC News has learned.
The series of tests were conducted by Homeland Security Red Teams who pose as passengers, setting out to beat the system.
According to officials briefed on the results of a recent Homeland Security Inspector General’s report, TSA agents failed 67 out of 70 tests, with Red Team members repeatedly able to get potential weapons through checkpoints.
…
In addition, the review determined that despite spending $540 million for checked baggage screening equipment and another $11 million for training since a previous review in 2009, the TSA failed to make any noticeable improvements in that time.
That money is a total waste. It’s nothing but security theater. Let the airlines handle their own security, or lack thereof, any way they want instead of the government continuing to infringe our rights and waste our money.
True security now is the passengers on the plane!
Yes, except that they have been disarmed by unconstitutional government orders.
That’s true, but I always kept my utensils after the meal. Lufthansa in particular, as recently as 2003 served the beef and chicken entree with a metal knife, fork and spoon.
Ah, but Grasshopper, infringing on our rights and wasting money is the whole purpose, and so the program is a success. The assertion will then be that since EVEN THIS has “failed” to eliminate all possible threats, obviously we need MORE rights violations and MORE money.
It’s as blatantly simple as simple gets.
If the purpose were to put a stop to jihad, that would have been done generations ago.
No, Grasshopper; jihad is an ally in the war against the American Principles of Liberty. Understand that and the rest explains itself.
It is all even more absurd if you consider that this testing presupposes a need to get on a plane to kill a lot of people in a spectacular manner in public at an airport. By the numbers a security checkpoint area is a more target rich environment than a plane.
July 4, 2002, Los Angeles International Airport, Bradley International Terminal, El Al counter.
Q.E.D.
Exactly, it achieves the same thing of making air travel seem risky and does not require any great skill.
The same is true of schools (e.g. Beslan) and malls and movie theaters and concerts or sporting events.
The true first responders are armed citizens who have the means to fight back immediately and stop muslim terrorists.
We should have absolutely universal open and concealed carry anywhere and everywhere in America. That is our best defense short of threatening the nuking of Mecca in response to any large scale terrorist attack like 9/11.
And might I add, TSA = Teatro de la Seguridad del Absurdo?
Aka Worthless Security Theater.
Again; it’s far from worthless. It irritates Americans, it get Americans accustomed to standing in lines and being “processed” it creates more federal employees dependent on more government spending, and generally increases the significance of government meddling in our daily lives. That’s a win, win, win, win, win (and I may have left out a few other benefits). It’s totally serving its purpose, with zero downsides.
Yes, that, and it bought a LOT of votes for incumbents on the taxpayer dime. So a very successful program at its REAL goals, simply not for its STATED goals.