"...and a bomber in the Middle East attempted to assassinate a leader with explosives inserted in his posterior."

Will TSA be instituting colo-rectal examinations as a prelude to boarding an aircraft in the near future?

IMO, while the TSA is concerned about passengers, it is more concerned about the inability of its front line staff to administer anything but the lowest standard of security and inadequate at that, but they do find water.

The fact that the US hasn't had another successful attack has very little to due with the punitive measures imposed on the traveling public.

DHS in its CBP unit has a trusted traveler program(Global Entry) already in place. Global Entry allows vetted travelers to enter the country in an expedited manner, freeing agents to spend time on other travelers who might present a greater threat.

It doesn't mean that Global Entry participants aren't screened, or may not be further screened at the officers discretion but it generally requires a lower level of inspection. The program uses information, profiling and intelligence to eliminate the need to strip search every person entering US airports from overseas in order to control the movement of contraband.

It is time for the TSA to take a more enlightened approach to passenger security and screening. To do otherwise risks impeding the flow of commerce and its benefits.