Originally Posted by
RichardKenner
I disagree with that analogy, for a number of reasons. First, in the case of acquiring drugs, there are people on both sides of that transaction putting feelers out that they're looking for people to transact with.
And the clerks who took bribes were not looking for a chance to score? Someone knew these people would deal. Someone knew how to contact them. Why do you suppose terrorists couldn't make use of the same network? Yes, agree with you that it is probably a smaller circle than just drug dealers, but it is something that can be tapped into using the smuggling rubric.
But there's nothing similar with those who want to blow up planes.
Sure there is, as per above. Not as prevalent, but it exists all the same. Unless you're claiming that the many known smuggling schemes were impromptu.
Even if a TSO, airport worker, or shipping company employee were willing to accept a bribe, what would be the analogy to the drug dealer? Where would they find a community in which to spread the word "if anybody wants to blow up a plane, find me!"?
Are you deliberately not understanding my post, or perhaps I didn't make it clear. Nobody in their right mind would approach this as "wanna help me smuggle a bomb?" To everyone involved, it would be a package, say a few kilos of drugs. Only people out of the direct transaction would know what it really was.
Secondly, terrorists, especially international ones, aren't going to fit in very well. They'll appear strange or be "off" in cultural or societal ways and stand out. It'll be that much extremely harder for them to "sniff around obliquely".
You're not thinking this through, IMO. If a dodgy character has money to hand out, nobody will care. The right introductions will be made. The right intermediaries will take care of the rest. Of course nobody is going to know what's really going on til its too late.
I don't think any terrorist organization can come close.
That is a gamble. Precisely the same type of gamble the TSA won't accept when it insists on random groin searches of people who are under no suspicion.