At the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection hearing last week, the focus was on “An Assessment of Checkpoint Security:
Are Our Airports Keeping Passengers Safe?” We all know the foregone conclusion, “Yes, of course security is keeping us safe.” However, future developments provided a fascinating look at the evolving security systems.
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Trapped skier burns money to get saved, rail projects need more than trains — new stations too, DHS loses hundreds of firearms through carelessness
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Though, this was the first time I had heard of studies attempting to unlock the secrets of how dogs smell, these studies have been being conducted for decades at our national labs and in private labs. A canine’s nose functionality is still a mystery for sensory scientists. Dogs have been trained to sniff and search for bodies under rubble, explosives, drugs, banned foods and even the presence of cancer.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is having its share of problems. Their intricate systems failed to uncover the Christmas panty bomber. Passengers are rebelling against being virtually stripped naked in order to get through security. GAO note they have not even tested these new strip-search machines to see if they can identify PETN (the explosive used in the Christmas bomb). And now the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Management, Investigations and Oversight finds uncontrolled spending.
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It’s one thing when journalists complain about failures in the country’s counter-terrorism activities. It carries greater weight when the Government Accounting Office (GAO) issues a report detailing these failures.
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Robert Crandall, the former CEO of American Airlines, during an interview by Neil Cavuto on Fox News, volunteered to take over TSA if necessary. He noted that political appointments at the highest levels of security organizations just don’t have the experience to run organizations as large as the Department of Homeland Security.
Crandall would find someone “that knows something about security, that knows something about transportation, and that has — has had experience running very large-scale organizations.”
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I listened attentively to President Obama’s presentation and the discussions with Janet Napolitano, Director of Homeland Security, yesterday and sadly, I heard no different rhetoric. This speech by President Obama could have been delivered by President Bush, however, Bush would have thrown the word “terrorism” into the mix.
Americans have heard the same speeches coupled with the same knee-jerk band-aid responses that won’t make anyone safer, but will complicate travel.
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It seems that the Department of Homeland Security and the Obama administration has abandoned the silly and counterproductive non-profiling mantra that has been hindering airline security since 9/11. The government is instituting heightened screening for a group of 14 nations, almost all Muslim countries.
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It’s not often that mere citizens get to take a peek behind the curtain of the Terrorist Watchlist. Testimony last week at the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs provided an insight into the Terrorist Watchlist and the extent to which it is being used throughout the country.
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I reported last week about Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, refusing to say she would announce an extension of the present waivers for states that have not complied with the Real ID Act. Without an extension of these waivers, Americans from, perhaps, 36 different states would not be able to enter federal buildings or fly because their ID didn’t meet national specifications.
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