Thread: GOP congressman stands up to Big Sis Napolitano

TSA 'not capable' of detecting airport threats

Congressman blasts $212 million plan to spot terror suspects

Posted: February 14, 2011
8:43 pm Eastern
© 2011 WorldNetDaily

Editor's Note: The following report is excerpted from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, the premium online newsletter published by the founder of WND. Subscriptions are $99 a year or, for monthly trials, just $9.95 per month for credit card users, and provide instant access for the complete reports.

The chairman of the House Transportation Committee has warned that the Transportation Security Administration is not capable of detecting an attack similar to the one that happened last month at Moscow's main airport, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., said that the TSA's $212 million program which is supposed to spot suspected terrorists at U.S. airports is "not capable of detecting what took place in Moscow."

The Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques, or SPOT, which has been existence since 2006 has some 3,000 "behavior detection" officers at 161 airports.

Critics, including the congressional Government Accountability Office, say the technique is unproven behavioral science and hasn't helped remove vulnerabilities at the airports.

"I see the classified results and it gives me great concern," Mica said. "I saw what happened in Moscow and I have even more concern."

The suicide bombing which took place at the Moscow airport occurred in an area where security doesn't exist at most airports – near where incoming passengers pick up their luggage after disembarking from the aircraft.

"Every airport in the world, including every airport in the United States, has virtually no security until you get to the security checkpoint," said former White House counter-terrorism official Richard Clarke. "Very large parts of all airports are inherently insecure."

TSA counters, however, that its SPOT program is a "vital layer that enhances security at the nation's airports."

For the rest of this report and other Intelligence Briefs, please go to Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin:

United States: Basis for SPOT program questionable

Middle East: Saudis alarmed over rising Iranian influence

Egypt/Israel: Question over support for peace treaty

Saudi Arabia/France: Say it isn't so

Yemen: Staying focused on al-Qaida threat

Iran: Getting into the satellite business

China/Iran: Sanctions ignored

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=263769

Yah but still realistically what can they do? Require someone to go through a thorough background and loyalty check to fly? A mile outside the airport have full screenings and I mean FULL screenings? Which would include x-rays, and full strip searches, and full medical screening.

In todays world with so many potential threats its virtually impossible to cover all threats. Guard from guns and you have explosives of many many different types, you have nuclear threats, you have chemical threats, hell you even have biological threats.

This is maybe where the movie Swordfish has it right, make terrorism against the US so ugly, so painful, noone would want to even think of it.