Well, Ronnie, even those of us in TS&S want better security. The problem is that TSA doesn't provide it, as GAO tests, investigations and findings have repeatedly concluded.

We demand it, TSA won't provide it. What it does provide is abysmal and invasive. We have a big problem here.

I can't speak for him, but it seems to me he did. He is still out a brother, and no matter how you poo-poo that. Ironically, the government accords the 9/11 families who lost people prematurely a much higher level of respect than you are according someone who lost someone in the line of duty. That's pretty low.

Wow ... a foster parent is serving your country?

Again, go back to the 9/11 families. It's hypocritical for the government (and those who work for it) to treat them as special for their loss and denegrate someone who lost family in the line of duty.

Many of us here, Ronnie, have government service in the military and civil sectors. You are no more special.

Same question back at you, Ronnie. What makes you more American (you have directly claimed that) than any of us?

I question that motive. I think this was bait and a veiled swipe, and sadly, many of us took it.

So that's what you're calling all the liquids and small pocket knives confiscated and at the airports?

I'm sure they're found in the garbage cans at the check point.

We've been given "more" by the TSA alright ...

Weak and silly comeback Ron. Plus, a few salient points you overlooked:

1). The incident had nothing to do with terrorism.

1) The Canadian Border Services Agency apprehended the disguise wearer. Or did I miss the part discussing the contributory role of the mighty TSA?

2). Your masked man BOARDED & COMPLETED the 14 hour flight. In other words he succeeded and you and your ilk FAILED.

(PS-can't wait to see the names you call me!)

Kippie once stated that TSA is pretty much geared to catch only the dumb terrorists. Their effectiveness at doing that is debatable at best.

No. Please see the poster below. I'm sure it could use some updating though.



*I must confess I'm the original creator of this poster.

Ever since Ron made that legendary claim, many of us have asked him to explain how he is more American than the rest of us. We're still waiting for his response.

TSORon - I'm still waiting on you to comment on the "terroristic acts" I found in the link you posted yesterday that showed the US had a "significant terrorism problem".

The guy in the link posted above who was attempting to seek refuge in Canada, has just about the same terroristic intent as the Animal Liberation Front did releasing minks.

Care to post anymore links we can refute?

I'd also like to know if was the minks that were considered the terrorists or the one who released them. As always I'm sure that particular terrorist considered himself more of a "freedom fighter". Maybe the minks figure we have a lot to answer for.

Mr. Peterson is correct, this is not a game. My apologies to you Mr. Peterson.

Here is the point I was trying to make. Poster SEAFFLYER presented 2 representations, one being terrorists and the other not. My point by linking the article I did is that there is no way to tell who is and who is not. None what-so-ever. The young man in the article was a young Asian male, but with his disguise in place he looks like a little old white male. He could just as easily have appeared to be a female, black, middle eastern, or any other type of person under the sun.

So based on this it’s clear that profiling is a useless exercise. OBL himself could appear to be to be your great aunts sister, brother, mother, or even father, and with the technology and skill the young man in question was able to acquire OBL could get away with it.

One system, one measure, one approach, is not going to work to stop those who wish to do harm to US citizens. ALL of them must be used. US citizens are the choice target of every terrorist organization on the planet (with one possible exception, do you know which organization I am speaking of?). No matter where we go we have a target painted on our backs the moment we let it slip where we come from. BTW, Israelis have it just as bad, but there are far fewer of them. The US Government would be remiss in its duties to its citizens if it did not provide the very best it could to prevent another major terrorist attack.

Many of you will say that it isn’t. Well, you are welcome to your opinion. I disagree, as does the vast majority of the public, as does the government, as do the vast majority of the recognized experts in the field. Some don’t, but that is opinion as well. It’s all opinion. But the proof is in the pudding, right? So the only relevant question is, if the government is doing such a poor job of providing a safer environment for commercial aviation in our country then why has there been no major follow-on attacks against US commercial aviation targets since the events of 9/11/2001?

Why have there been no attacks at shopping malls, etc.? Could it possibly be because there are no "domestic terrorists" who feel their cause is worth dying for?

When do the rectal probes, barium enemas and CT scans of the entire gastrointestinal tract begin? After all, they could be valuable in the search for WEI, so they must be used.

And why, exactly, would it be a problem for these people to be on a commercial aircraft? I would guess that any aircraft with Bin Laden himself on board would be one of the safest flights in the sky at that particular moment.

I'd even fly coach to be able to listen to his stories on a transcon.

I wouldn't have any qualms about turning him in upon arrival, but wouldn't have and fears about sharing airspace with him.

TSA would save more lives if they turned their jobs back over to Argenbrite and placed a TSO with nutrition pamphlets at the door of every fast food outlet.

Statistically, TSA is a massive waste of time and money at the task for which they are now deployed.

If anyone really has a desire to save lives or make the world a better place, TSA is not for them. On the other hand, if they are content with imagining that they are saving lives, TSA is just that place. Or possibly as a white witch in some massive multi-player on-line game.

Point A:
A simple glance at his hands at the first checkpoint would have given him away.

Point B:
Behavioral profiling would also have caught him before he boarded the plane. Israel doesn't rely on racial profiling. They question everyone. Since we already have to stop at a TSA checkpoint to show ID at the start of the process, a few simple questions would quickly root out those that need further questioning. When I was flying back and forth to AMS in the terrorist era of the late 80s, the Dutch military was very thorough and questioned everyone that was boarding a US bound flight. They used dogs, searches (without feeling the need to touch my private parts), and plain old common sense (something that seems to escape the TSA).

It would be useful if there could be some kind of consensus on what the word profiling encompasses. I'm inferring from your use of it that you're referring to racial profiling, which is just one kind of profiling. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I believe anybody who's gotten a Nexus pass, Global Entry, etc. has been profiled. Isn't the TSA No-Fly list also profiling?

Profiling other than racial or religious may be controversial in other ways, but it seems to be a fairly basic tool in a lot of police and intelligence work. At least one expert argues that "Behavioral assessment profiling isn't the problem. Abuse of behavioral profiling is the problem..."

I don't think the TSA is equipped to do this. There have been some well-publicized problems with the No-Fly list. What do others think? Is there any kind of smarter security between the extremes of no security at all and X-Ray and or invasive pat-downs of virtually everybody (other than the exceptions which seem to be in contradiction of the exercise )?

Because shortly after 9/11, we armored cockpit doors, gave guns to flight crews, and the airlines eliminated their "no resistance" policies.

Only the self deluded within TSA believe TSA has had anything to do with the government's success.

OTOH, TSA has accomplished the singular honor of being the most disliked agency in all of government. Give yourself a hand, TSO's - at least you've made the plight of an IRS examiner a whole lot better by comparison.

Exactly.