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Monday, December 28, 2009

Chasing air terrorism tactics is closing the barn door after the horse escapes
Posted by Jill | 5:47 AM
Perhaps the most head-scratching legacy of the past decade is going to be how ragtag bands of misguided men, financed by shadowy figures but not part of any state entity, managed to bring a superpower to its emotional needs. It took nineteen men with boxcutters to do it at the start of the decade, but only one with an explosive taped to his nutsack at the end of it. Ever since the 9/11 attacks, we've been "tightening airport security" in ways that chase the most recently-used tactic, and don't take at all into account that there's no limit to the ingenuity that people who are not only willing, but eager to die are going to use. Richard Reid tries to ignite explosives in his shoes, and we have to take off our shoes. Someone tries to mix an explosive using toiletries, and we can't take anything larger than 3 ounces on a plane. Now there's indications of a coming ban on the use of ANY electronic device on international flights -- no CD players, no iPODs, no Gameboys, no laptops, nothing.

And while the TSA claims that it doesn't want to "tip off terrorists", the restrictions are leaking out:

The government was vague about the steps it was taking, saying that it wanted the security experience to be “unpredictable” and that passengers would not find the same measures at every airport — a prospect that may upset airlines and travelers alike.

But several airlines released detailed information about the restrictions, saying that passengers on international flights coming to the United States will apparently have to remain in their seats for the last hour of a flight without any personal items on their laps. It was not clear how often the rule would affect domestic flights.

Overseas passengers will be restricted to only one carry-on item, and domestic passengers will probably face longer security lines. That was already the case in some airports Saturday, in the United States and overseas.

So if your five-year-old has to pee during the last hour of the flight, too bad. If you want to carry a handbag and your laptop bag, too bad. And none of this is going to make one iota of difference, because those who would try to bring down jetliners have already come up with a new and different way to get explosives on planes. How much of checked baggage is really checked for explosives again? And are we going to start doing cavity searches? What makes the TSA think that a guy who seeks martyrdom is going to balk at carrying plastic explosives in his rectum? Is this where we're headed? Cavity searches for everyone? What is this, Beavis and Butthead Do America?

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Looneytunes) is blaming Barack Obama for the failed terrorism attempt. I guess Obama should have flown to Nigeria and screened Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab himself. Perhaps he's also muttering into his breakfast mug of Wild Turkey that since Obama has a funny name too and African roots, they're in cahoots. But what no one seems to want to look at here is George Bush WAS half right about one thing: These people are very resourceful. They're looking at holes in our security, and there is absolutely no way to plug all of them.

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Blogger Unknown said...
>They're looking at holes in our security, and there is absolutely no way to plug all of them.

No there isn't. Of course no one wants to hear that, so they'll implement some more ineffective symbolic gestures which will only serve to make air travel even more miserable for the rest of us.
12/28/09, 6:58 AM  
Blogger rjs said...
when you consider that those 19 men with boxcutters at the beginning of the decade didnt even pay for their airplane tickets (they used credit cards) and we have been counter-attacking with multimillion dollar responses since (ie., first tomahawk missles into mountainsides and now a 30 billion dollar 30,000 man surge), its easy to see who's winning...
12/28/09, 7:36 AM  
Blogger Mauigirl said...
I totally agree. I've been saying the same thing ever since they announced some of these new security measures. Why are we always looking backwards at the most recent method of terrorism and thinking if we don't let them do THAT then we'll be safe? Started with taking off our shoes after Richard Reid. It's all useless. What would be more useful is putting the 500,000 people with known terrorist ties on the no-fly list. This guy was on the first list but not the second.

But even that won't make us really safe.
12/28/09, 2:26 PM  
Blogger Cirze said...
I can't help but think that people are continuing to chase phantoms.

They don't care a fig for airport security, you know.

But for spreading fear and control?

Now that get's them moving.

Who's in charge again?

Or does no one care at this point?

S

P.S. Mauigirl - Nothing will keep us really safe. But wouldn't that be the ultimate upshot of not letting a real investigation of 9/11 occur?
12/28/09, 3:03 PM  
Blogger Cirze said...
P.P.S.

That "little man" had a lot of help by the way.

Click on this link and around the others in the story and learn about the mystery al-CIA-da sharp dresser who escorted him on the plane without a passport.

Black Listed News

Courtesy of two American lawyers on the plane who aren't worried about reporting the facts.

And do you think the folks in charge didn't know this before reporting it to the MSM?

S
12/28/09, 3:13 PM  
Anonymous OweEng2 said...
I think even the tightest airport security is no match for a lazy or corrupt airport security official. They should be looking at the people who are implementing the security measures if they are really doing their jobs
12/28/09, 11:24 PM  
Anonymous Tracy said...
OwEng2..I totally agree with you!


Tracy, Velocity Fulfillment
12/29/09, 1:38 PM  
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