[sportbos]

Safe to say that if he looked remotely Middle-Eastern, Fox News would have dedicated an entire day to trying to link him to Al Qaeda and getting the torch and pitchfork crowd to take to the streets arguing he should be locked up in Guantanamo.

It's also time to take a non-emotional look at the whole TSA setup. Some of what's in the system seems more focused on satisfying the emotional reactions of an anxious public than strategic needs of a safety infrastructure. That said, I don't actually see all the fuss about the body scan system, other than the simple fact that there's growing evidence that it's just a Halliburton-style cash cow for former Bush administration crony Michael Chertoff, who now is on the receiving end of a $200 million contract to build and deliver these scanners to the nation's airports.

San Diego Union Tribune:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2...scan-resistor/

The Transportation Security Administration has opened an investigation targeting John Tyner, the Oceanside man who left Lindbergh Field under duress on Saturday morning after refusing to undertake a full body scan.

Tyner recorded the half-hour long encounter on his cell phone and later posted it to his personal blog, along with an extensive account of the incident. The blog went viral, attracting hundreds of thousands of readers and thousands of comments.

Michael J. Aguilar, chief of the TSA office in San Diego, called a news conference at the airport Monday afternoon to announce the probe. He said the investigation could lead to prosecution and civil penalties of up to $11,000.

TSA agents had told Tyner on Saturday that he could be fined up to $10,000.
“That’s the old fine,” Aguilar said. “It has been increased.”

...

Aguilar says that Tyner was facing nothing more than the traditional pat-down that TSA has used for some time, and not a more aggressive body search in effect since late October.

In the end, security escorted Tyner out of the airport, after American Airlines refunded his ticket.

According to Aguilar, Tyner is under investigation for leaving the security area without permission. That’s prohibited, among other reasons, to prevent potential terrorists from entering security, gaining information, and leaving.

[kuklame]

CBS News:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_1...76-503544.html

Americans have differing views on two potentially inconvenient and invasive practices that airports could implement to uncover potential terrorist attacks, a new CBS News poll shows. Americans overwhelmingly approve of the use of full-body digital x-ray machines - a new technology in use at some airports in the U.S. Most, meanwhile, do not approve of racial or ethnic profiling - a practice not in place.

In response to continued security threats, the Transportation and Security Administration recently began introducing full body scanners with more enhanced technology than past devices into airports nationwide. If a passenger refuses to pass through the new scanners, TSA agents are now allowed to conduct a very detailed, very personal, body search on that person.

Although some civil rights groups allege that they represent an unconstitutional invasion of privacy, Americans overwhelmingly agree that airports should use the digital x-ray machines to electronically screen passengers in airport security lines, according to the new poll. Eighty-one percent think airports should use these new machines -- including a majority of both men and women, Americans of all age groups, and Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike. Fifteen percent said airports should not use them.

In an op-ed for USA Today, Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano today urged Americans to be patient in the face of the heightened airplane security measures.

"Al-Qaeda and those inspired by its ideology are determined to strike our global aviation system and are constantly adapting their tactics for doing so," she wrote. "Our best defense against such threats remains a risk-based, layered security approach that utilizes a range of measures, both seen and unseen, including law enforcement, advanced technology, intelligence, watch-list checks and international collaboration."

[wrbwrbwrb]

I saw a very compelling interview with a gentleman who was once head of security of Israel's airline EL AL. He said the U.S. was reactive instead of proactive and doubted that our high-tech security measures would ever keep pace with the changing tactics of terrorists. He has a point. He advocates human intelligence as the best tool for prevention.

Here's how they do it in Israel airports. Everyone arrives to the airport three hours ahead of departure time. In addition to metal detectors, as people wait in line, highly trained personnel question everyone in line. They look at passports, ask questions about destinations, purpose of visits, etc. No one is exempt. If they determine someone is suspicious, that person is taken into a private room with their luggage and everything is searched.

The gentleman used an example of a young woman coming from somewhere in the middle east who stated her "fiancee" was sending her to Jerusalem to meet his parents and he would follow in a few days. She was to stay in a hotel until he arrived. He packed her bags with presents for his family. She had not opened her bags, did not know where she was staying and believed a hotel stay cost $50 a night. When they opened her bags, they found explosives which would not have been picked up with scanners. She broke down, unaware she had been used as a mule.

[fgjhfgjh]

I lean toward the interview system as well. People need to remember that flying is a privilege, not a right, just like driving. Airways and roadways operate with a layer of safety protocols to keep the hateful from acting out their aggressions.

[AbraxiaAsus]

This pretty much sums up my opinion.

[Zvmwissq]

This pretty much sums up my opinion.

Oh jeez. I don't know whether to laugh, cry or throw up.

[xanax-buy-online.com]

The box of doughnuts and coffee cup are a nice touch.