Tag Archives: 9-11

TSA: Grope & Pillage

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What more really needs to be said? The TSA is a HUGE black hole that the U.S. Government continues to throw money at and for what? Don’t say safer airports because you will be kidding yourself. Yeah, you can point to no other terrorist attacks since 9-11. Remember it was YOUR government that planned and executed the attacks on 9-11, found some scapegoats and viola. Conspiracy!

I found that images on ATS in a thread titled, ‘TSA Nabs Suspected Al Qaeda Terrorist At O’Hare International Airport.’ The story, along with video shows a 3 year old boy, with a broken leg, in a body cast being molested by the TSA, on our tax dollar. Gotta love it.

Less Not More

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Here we go again. Yet another threat to airline security that the U.S. Government (DHS/TSA) will make top priority in order to take away more of your freedoms in the name of security. “Travelers may find themselves subjected to more scrutiny when flying in the heart of summer vacation season, especially to the U.S. from abroad” (source). In a memo sent to security officials, the “tactic” is called body packing. Officials say this could have “possible terrorist implications.”

Possible? So our the official statement from our government is suspect at best. There is no hard information or known cases in the U.S. where a suspected terrorist has explosives surgically implanted with the intent to blow up an airline. “People-scanning machines in airports aren’t able to detect explosives hidden inside humans” (source). This will be another round of the TSA/DHS vs The People when it comes to just how many freedoms we are willing to give up in order to travel.

It will give manufacturers of  scanning machines more contracts and more money in order to develop a next generation machine that not only scans what’s under your clothes but what is possibly implanted in your body. I am sure Mike Chertoff will benefit from yet another contract with the U.S. Government.

With the increase in security at check points it’s becoming nearly impossible to travel with any sort of carry-ons. You are limited in the amount of any substance you can carry through security. You are still not allow to bring many items, once common into a sterile corridor (terminal) and onto an airplane. Even bottles of water are not allowed due to the fact they could contain a liquid explosive.

“Due to the significant advances in global aviation security in recent years, terrorist groups have repeatedly and publicly indicated interest in pursuing ways to further conceal explosives,” TSA spokesman Nick Kimball said, adding that passengers flying into the U.S. may notice additional security (source). Additional security is NOT needed! Less intrusive procedures are needed, not more enhanced techniques to allegedly deter terrorists from down commercial airliners were explosives.

This is just another potential “false flag” being hoisted by the alphabet agencies and the U.S. Government. In the end the level of security at airports will not be better, but remain much the same. More “interaction” between agents and passengers will result in more outcries of injustice, more videos on YouTube and more articles about how we are being treated like terrorists. All in the name of security, just to fly.

News source: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=14007673

TSA Failure at MSP

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Funny how the TSA turns a miscommunication (read their error) into a positive at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport on last Thursday (read story). Why a positive, because the agent of the “make-work” program actual did their job and detected a fake bomb in a suitcase being used as part of a “routine drill.” Unfortunately, the TSA failed to tell the local police. “Airport spokesman Pat Hogan said the good news is that the bomb was detected and the security precautions at the airport worked.”

I recall pre 9-11 when I all management employees (supervisor level) had to go through “training” for 6 weeks. As part of that training, we had a woman at United Airlines, who involved in airline security. She provided us training on using the x-ray machines and explosive trace-detection portal machines. Not sure this training as as “intense” as the rent-a-cops who staffed security checkpoints, but learning how to interpret what the image was on the x-ray machine was interesting.

This training was required as part of the job description for supervisor, to be trained as a Ground Security Coordinator (GSC). Part of those duties were also to “oversee” security checkpoints, one place I did not want to be. I still recall my only duty was to tell a family their Mylar, Mickey Mouse balloon could not come through the checkpoint. Talk about ridiculous! Allegedly I was keeping the airline safe and the concourse sterile.

Needless to say after this “formal” training I was nowhere near prepared, as an airline supervisor to be overseeing any security checkpoint. The GSC was nothing more than an acronym attached to the position due to the sensitivity nature of the job. I made many security type decisions, sometimes unilaterally and other times consulting other individuals or departments.

Unfortunately the dog and pony show known as the TSA has not made air travel any safer. Sure they can point to their track record since 9-11, as there have been no hijacking or terrorist attacks. Yet it’s not the TSA who has been deterring these thwarts attempts on aviation security. So continue to the with smoke and mirrors, make sure your grope, fondle and molest air travelers in the name of security.

TSA Says No to Texas

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As I wrote about last week in Pat-Down Ban?, Texas passed legislation making the TSA security pat down molestation and groping illegal ni their great state. Unfortunately this was really only a minor and temporary victory for us commoners as Big Sis seems to be raising the iron fist to crush change.

While not a support of the TSA, you can read Blogger Bob and his response to this legislation proposed by the Texas House of Representatives. I am quite sure he is nothing more than a mouthpiece (yes man) for the TSA, which isn’t too surprising. Give the TSA a blog and make them a part of the “social networking” community.

While I commend the great state of Texas and applaud them for going after the TSA, I believe in the end, the law of the land under The United States Constitution will prevail. I do not agree, nor have I every approved of the continued “police state” method being carried out by TSA agents in airports through out the United States. Scare tactics if you ask me. As for the Article. VI. Clause 2 cited by the TSA:

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

So basically regardless of how the legislation is voted on in Texas, it will be trumped by what is already in place at the Federal level. Hmmm. I think it’s time to go back to states governing themselves because the U.S. Government sure the hell isn’t doing a good job…well they are doing a fantastic job running it into the ground (regardless of what party is in control). But I am moving off topic. Back to the Nazis…err…TSA.

It’s funny how we can spin statistics to make them favor our position and strength our stance. After patronizing the reader the TSA claims “less than 3% of passengers receive pat-downs.” What they don’t tell us, is out of that 3% how many were actually a terrorist or had some sort of plan to blow something up? Yeah, just what I thought, no numbers.

Their claims go on to state that if you “opt out” of the AIT (Advanced Imaging Tecnology) machines or are “part of our random, unpredictable security measures.” Random? Is this why we see a 45-year old Caucasian being groped, maybe a 6-year old girl being molested? I will give you THAT is random, but I feel not “good security.” I support random, when done like it is outside the USA, especially in Europe when it comes to security.

I feel it would be much more effective to racially profile. Fuck the ACLU! The can keep their dirty hands and opinions out of this. We all know the ethnicity of the supposed 9-11 hijackers. No reason we should not be driving this point home, even if the plot was carried out by agents of the U.S. Government.

There have been some stories especially out of the Middle East of terrorist organizations using children and infants as bombs and bombers. But to train TSA agents in the art of molestation, is wrong. They claim, “Children 12 years old and under who require extra screening will receive a modified pat down.” Of course there are no details on what the modifications and they “work with parents to ensure a respectful screening process.”

Sorry as a parent I would be outraged if my 5-year old son was randomly selected. I would not let it happen, if that means physically harming a Federal agent, then so be it. I know I am wrong and it would probably get me tossed in jail. The only other, more “respectful” solution would be to cancel whatever travel plans we had and leave the airport. Yet we have seen in previous cases that doesn’t always go smooth either. Read Pliot Refuses to be Seen Naked.

The TSA also states s a “0.0004% of received complaints” (898 complaints)from travelers between the periods of November 2010 and March 2011. This figure out of some 252 million people who were screened. Unfortunately for use becoming outraged or outspoken will only lead the TSA to look upon us as domestic terrorists and put us in a “high risk” category. This has already been mentioned by the TSA in April (read story).

So for those still willing to travel by air, you are in a no win situation. While I still consider air travel the most efficient way to get to a destination, the problems and red tape that go along with getting from your car to your airplane are something I don’t want to deal with. Unfortunately, the situation won’t get better before it gets worse. Toss in a false flag at one of the nation’s airports and the U.S. Government will implement more stringent rules to keep the skies safe and the flying public scared.

 

My Blood is My Blood.

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A day does not go by that I am glad I left the aviation industry for greener pastures. Aside from my former employer being in decline (and was since I started with them in 1995) after 9-11, the only “improvements” would be the window dressing we call the TSA, which is part of the DHS, who has Janet “Big Sis” Napalitano as it’s dictator. You draw the parallels.

This arm of the government continues to stretch it’s authority when it comes to “security” at the nation’s airports, while infringing on personal rights on a daily basis. Unfortunately the situation won’t improve and it likely to get more convoluted as years go by and more of our freedoms are taken away from us.You can read any number of articles I have written listed under Aviation “in”Security, that relate experiences individuals have had with the TSA. As I mentioned in the opening, it’s not getting better, regardless of what we are told by TSA/DHS or the mainstream media as it relates to “being safer than pre 9-11.”

DHS claims via their web site they will not use blood (for genetic testing) as part of aviation security. This story…rumor was perpetrated by numerous media outlets and was quickly denied by the TSA. So while they deny this piece of the story, there is truth that, “DHS S&T (Science & Technology Directorate) expects to receive a prototype DNA analyzer device this summer to conduct a preliminary evaluation of whether this kind of technology could be considered for future use.” This sort DNA testing is currently used “in some cases to establish familial relationships in refugee processing.”

The statement by TSA officials leave the door wide open for additional uses by saying, “…for future uses.” As it stands now pat-downs are a very invasive procedure, which can be humiliating as agents violate an individual’s intimate body parts. This procedure, now commonplace at security checkpoints, along with heightened security procedures allegedly makes the USA safer from terrorists, while making you feel dehumanized. Don’t you feel safe already knowing the TSA (DHS) wants YOUR blood?

Sadly, the TSA and DHS have failed. “Big Sis” continues to throw her weight around, as did Chertoff before, who is now reaping millions from his dealing with Rapiscan. I found a great quote from an anonymous source,

“The point of security failure was with TSA itself. By the admission of DHS secretary Janet Napolitano, the current system [was] designed to nail people of interest didn’t work…it’s a case of “garbage in, garbage out,” where you get so many false positives and innocent people added to the list that it’s easy to let someone like Abdulmutallab (Underwear bomber) pass by. And if there wasn’t proper equipment at the airport to detect the chemicals he was carrying, where were the security teams?”

If you are unsure about the DHS S&T, read up on what that “directorate” is all about. Their objectives including:

  • Enhance the analytical capability of the Department to understand terrorist motivation, intent, and behavior
  • Improve screening by providing a science-based capability to identify unknown threats indicated by deceptive and suspicious behavior.
  • Improve screening by providing a science-based capability to identify know threats through accurate, timely, and easy-to-use biometric identification and credentialing tools.
  • Enhance safety, effectiveness, and usability of technology by systematically incorporating user and public input.
  • Enhance preparedness and mitigate impacts of catastrophic events by delivering capabilities that incorporate social, psychological and economic aspects of societal resilience.

Things won’t ever get better. This is only the beginning. While air travel will still be a necessity, the hassle of getting through security will continue to get more complex. The Nazis were well known for their “directorates.” I can see the DHS S&T playing a more vital role “in the future” as current procedures are far from acceptable, but as long as the public continues to travel, they will accept whatever procedures are put in place.