Originally Posted by Bart

But here's the irony: x-raying a bag that contains classified information doesn't compromise the information at all. Whether that classified information is on software, hardware, paper or any other medium, we cannot read the contents of that information. All we "see" is the medium itself. In other words, we will see a series of orange rectangles that shape a document, for example, but won't be able to read the contents. In fact, the only items we can read are metallic letters or highly contrasted items such as military uniform name plates...and that's if the item happens to be at a flat angle.

I don't attempt to explain this anymore. There is a procedure that allows classified couriers to exempt only the classified item and its container (e.g. envelope, hard drive case, etc.) but not the bag unless it's something like a locked briefcase handcuffed to the courier (don't know if we do that anymore...thought that went out with the end of the Cold War, but it's been a few years since I was in the Army). Couriers insist that their items not be x-ray inspected and we comply even though it's a silly fear.