Why? That is the million dollar question. Typically the TSA lets these things blow over and doesn't as much comment. Now the TSA is involved in a 'pissing contest' over this.

Whatever the specific reason, I do believe this was approved by Kippie and reviewed by TSA/DHS staff attorneys. I'm not sure how TSA incident reports are handled - i.e. handwritten and later typed up - but the report online reads as if it was written after the decision to post it was made.

This crap makes the TSA look stupid and it's in poor taste. I believe there is a larger goal rather than showing their side - it wouldn't surprise me if this was done to discourage or scare pax from going to the press when they believe they've been wronged. Millions of people have seen parts of the footage, either from the website directly or from a televised news program.

Worse yet, taxpayer money is being wasted on this 'pissing contest'. I'd be interested in seeing what the overall cost is. There is the initial cost in creating that portion of the site and then costs associated with editing the tapes and putting them in a format that can be streamed across the web. When people start viewing it, there is then the bandwidth cost. It could be a portion of a fixed cost - or it could be a variable cost if they are paying for bandwidth traffic.

FWIW, I plan on calling my congress critters tomorrow to complain taxpayer money is being used for this. It does irritate me to see taxpayer money wasted on what is nothing more than a 'pissing contest' (which may have been initiated with a larger goal in mind).

Now be good and show your papers, citizen!