John Pistole, Director of the TSA, sat before Congress today in a question-and-answer session regarding airport security checkpoint policies, cargo security practices, and present and future methods and technologies.
Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) asked Director Pistole at one point, "Would patting down have caught the Underwear Bomber?" Pistole said simply, "Yes." When Sen. Burris pressed further about the "depth" of a TSA-approved pat-down, citing the diaper-like setup of the Underwear Bomber's weapon, Pistole seemed to continue to give short answers. Sen. Burris asked about the radiation content levels of the full-body scanners, and Pistole cited the studies he used to describe why they are absolutely safe.
Pistole was next asked questions by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Delaware) further regarding security measures, referencing methods which utilize personnel trained in behavior detection, with the intent of visually assessing suspicious or abnormal behavior. Pistole said that he has seen it work well since his time with the FBI, and he is a "strong proponent of it, and I am looking to expand the program."
Sen. John Ensign (D-NV) asked Pistole about the issue of some religions being uncomfortable with the detail of the body-scanners' image, which lead Pistole to mention the alternative pat-down, or pat-down in a different room, if requested. Pistole further said that if a person will not pick either option, "While we respect that person's beliefs, that person isn't getting on an airplane."
Pistole also said that "We are aggressively testing automated target recognition," at Washington-Reagan Airport. This is a technology that would make the full-body scanner images of people "essentially a stick figure," but would still detect chemicals or illegal materials. If contraband is detected, a further pat-down is required. He said that the bugs are not quite worked out of the technology yet.
Comments
It is bizarre that even Senators are living in the past. As far as the next attack goes, it really doesn't matter that a grope would have caught the underwear bomber. Next time around it's going to be a cavity bomb (drug mule style or surgically implanted) which the scanners and "enhanced" pat downs cannot detect. Next up for your pre-flight enjoyment - colonoscopies. This is all security theater. Whizbang techie smoke and mirrors.
This TSA Revolt Brakes Left Right Party Lines
The Planned intimidation and humiliation with the Enhanced “Enhanced” ‘Pat’-Down ‘Strip’-Search, for those travelers choosing the Opt-Out Screening Option, was to get everyone to use the Pornographic Electronic Bio-Scan Strip Search.
As Strangers touch our children’s genitalia the party lines drop away and for the first time in generation we collectively understand what real politics are about.
This failure has got the Feds at the Department of Homeland Security Hopping Mad.
http://wp.me/pPkXP-fz
-sovereignthink
The Christmas bomber would never have gone through the screening or any pat down because he DID NOT board the plane in the USA. Other countries do not use the same measures we are being subjected to here.
Not sure how TSA would have ever caught someone boarding a plane from another country no matter how intusive their search was. Obviously, until we can approach this in the logical way by profiing and not waste time patting down 70 year old women, we won't even come close to stopping this threat.
How about sending all prospective threats into a bomb proof room and running an array of electronic signals in the attempt to detonate anything they are hiding. Probably pretty remote chance that you will hit the correct signal and it might get a little messy if you do, but a couple hits would probably go along way to scaring off other efforts.
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