Fear not, the Federal Anti Terrorist Airport Security Service (FATASS) is on guard!

[Strelnikov]

On my recent trip, I saw the following people singled out for additional attention by airport security:
1. A Girl Scout, about age 16, in uniform. (Unfortunately, they let her keep her shoes on.)
2. Two Boy Scouts, ditto.
3. A Black kid about 20, with baggy pants and dreadlocks.
4. A White couple about 40.
5. A Hispanic woman about 30, traveling with her children.

The probability of any of these people being a terrorist is zero. In the past 30 years, EVERY terrorist outrage against Americans has been committed by Muslim males, mostly Arabs, aged 18-30.

John Magaw, director of FATASS (and one of those capable people who brought us the Branch Davidian massacre) resigned today. President Bush should make a clean sweep and fire Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta too. The new director should tell the troops to concentrate their efforts on likely threats - i. e. do some racial profiling. Anyone who doesen't like that is welcome to go back to Saudi, and good riddance.

Strelnikov

 

[Cosmo_ac]

Strell, you need little more then a cause, and a bomb to be a terrorist. That's a fact.

 

[TicklishPhoebe]

Re: Fear not, the Federal Anti Terrorist Airport Security Service (FATASS) is on guard!

[

The probability of any of these people being a terrorist is zero. In the past 30 years, EVERY terrorist outrage against Americans has been committed by Muslim males, mostly Arabs, aged 18-30.

What about Timothy McVeigh? Surely you're not implying that the OKC bombing wasn't a terrorist outrage?

On a lighter note... That can't really be the name, can it? Didn't somone notice that it would be FATASS? Wow.

 

[Shem the Penman]

Security has to base its evaluation of potential threats on more than just what they look like. While the exact criteria are kept secret, things like paying cash for a ticket are red flags, too.

If the people you mention fit several of the criteria for a possible threat -- and neither you nor I know if they did -- would you want the security guards to just look at them and say, "Oh well, you're not a Muslim, go on through"?

But hey, if you want to complain about security being too thorough, that's your prerogative.

(As for non-Arab terrorists, don't forget the anthrax-letter mailer, who is almost certainly an American. And would racial profiling alone have caught shoe bomber Richard Reid, who is not an Arab and was flying on a British passport?)

 

[shark]

Efforts should also be made to teach the screeners how to use their own equipment.Recent testing showed an average 25% failure rate...
menaing planted "weapons" got past screeners 25% of the time.The worst airport was LAX with a failure rate of 41%.Federalizing them doesn't make them any better.

I would also start with profiling for Arab/middle eastern males,but realize that this is just the most likely group to have a problem with.While McVeigh and Nicholls were white Americans,there is considerable evidence that Oklahoma City was an Iraqi-backed hit.

Shem is right about the cash payment for tickets.This has been used as a red flag for years in drug surveillance,too.Ticket counter personnel can actually get bonuses for reporting it.

 

[maverick83]

Personally, I think it's incredible how these shortcomings are public knowledge! It's even on the news, along with any discoveries as to diseases that are resistant to treatments. Now all we need to do is put the words "ATTENTION TERRORISTS: AMERICA'S WEAKNESSES!!!" on the screen for a few minutes before the news.

 

[JoBelle]

Given the specific failures we've encountered in self preservation of late, I think looking for the most PROBABLE "terrorist" is the best idea. Sure, for every Osama, there is a Tom, Dick, Harry, or Jane who is also disgruntled and looking to go postal on the USA. HOWEVER....in the current security climate, as much as I hate to admit it, looking for an Arab male between the ages of 18 and 30 is
likely going to produce a result most quickly.

I don't think we have the resources *read that as competent security personnel* to be so extra careful that we're checking girl scouts and grandmas knitting booties while they wait for their flights. Perhaps we do, but I doubt it. Besides, young girl scouts aren't rallying "DEATH TO AMERICANS" like some other orgnaized groups.

No one has the "right" answer....this is just another opinion,
Joby

 

[Strelnikov]

Some amplification on shark's post:

"Insight" magazine published an article a few months back - the general drift was as follows. In the mid-1990's, Philippine police broke up an Al-quaeda plot to bomb 10 American airliners over the Pacific Ocean. They arrested a number of Arabs and their Filipino associates. Interrogation of the Filipino prisoners revealed a second plot, involving a bombing somewhere in America. Central to that plot was an American known as "the farmer", identified by at least one of the prisoners from a photo as Terry Nichols. Nichols had Filipino connections through his wife, and was known to have traveled to the Philippines in the time period of interest.

Based on that, it looks to me like Tim McVeigh was the fall guy. They set him up to bomb the Murrah Building, and he got to ride the needle for doing so. But the plot was hatched by, and provided technical assistance by, Muslim males aged 18 to 30. Just like I said.

Strelnikov