United States Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) has pressured TSA to release a surveillance tape of the man responsible for the six hour delay and lock down of Continental Airlines (CO) Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) last Sunday evening.
“I desperately want to see this individual questioned,” Lautenberg said. “Was this just an innocent mistake or was he bird-dogging for someone?”
The tape shows the man embracing a woman at a security checkpoint before she passes through screening. Toward the end of the tape, he ducks under a rope used to divide the screening area from the exit corridor.
CAPTIONS: (ABOVE LEFT) U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg from New Jersey (Photo Credit - Wikipedia); (BELOW RIGHT TOP) Newark Airport Terminal C (Image Credit - AP); (BELOW RIGHT BOTTOM) President Obama met on Jaryary 5 with high ranking federal officials (Photo Credit - White House)
Three videos follow this article, showing the intruder, and related events.
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In more innocent times, before attempts to destroy aircraft, and blunt Presidential announcements saying, "The system has failed in a potentially disastrous way", this possibly innocent act between two forlorn lovers might not have provoked such reactions.
But these are not innocent times. It is vital, in the view of many observers and Senator Lautenberg, that this intruder be located, and his motives, affiliations, and background thoroughly investigated.
Security experts agree that potential terrorists are always probing for weaknesses. They change their methods constantly. Full body scanning might be a deterrent, but not if someone leaves the back door unlocked.
It is confounding to this journalist why a TSA security officer would leave his post, in effect go AWOL, even if only for one minute. It defies common sense, and also TSA procedures and protocol.
Tell us your thoughts on this security breach. Please leave comments below or by email and subscribe to get future updates.
Comments
I agree; if the security personnel needed a break, he should have gotten back up.
Joel is back!! Woo hoo!!
Glad something sort of official caught it- the TSA folks certainly didn't.
Always liked Senator Lautenberg. He's right, and I hope his stance on this matter pays off.
I am glad to see coverage on this. I think the past few weeks have been a huge wake-up call for many of us on airport security.
wow, TSA must be getting it!
The TSA security officer should get a lot of heat! Thanks Joel!
Thanks for posting this video. I was curious if the actually had footage on it.
The TSA guy's actions are simply inexcusable..even though he might have done the same thing a hundred times previously. He didn't employ much common sense or thought under the present conditions..nice piece, Joel.
Cheers...
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