tev9999

Don't worry, the TSA is protecting us.

alanR

2 & 3 assume that the US is the only target.

I suspect that the main reason is that the terrorists DON'T need to stage an actual attack often - all they need is some loser on a cockamamy scheme that has little chance of success and sit back with the popcorn watching the West go to pieces.

Then again if they can just post a bomb, why bother with bombers

Wally Bird

Realistically there is little chance of doing so once the attack is in train. Then the only way is to interdict the bomber before reaching the target area and that's difficult. There are the 11 indicators supposedly used by Israel, but what works in a Mediterranean climate is not applicable to winter in Moscow. Or Chicago, New York etc.

The real protection comes from intelligence before the act, as was apparently the case in this attack but came too late. Armed police might dispatch the bomber at the airport (or wherever) but they are equally likely to blow away some innocent party as has happened in the UK.

Drastic measures (you listening DHS?) at airports would simply move the target area, possibly to an even easier location. I think an attack of this kind is unlikely in the US but should it happen then it is simply something that must be dealt with and life will go on as it does in other countries. The US would almost certainly go into panic mode though. Again.

Mr. Gel-pack

5) It's hard to control potential suicide bombers -- If you give someone enough resources to operate undetected in the US, their running away and blending in is a viable option. That will continue to be an issue as long as the US is perceived as "the land of opportunity". Conversely, if you're in a place of severely limited opportunities, terrorism might be a viable career choice.

LessO2

Yeah, right....
Number of uniform changes since the TSA started: 3
Number of changes to x-ray machines since the TSA started: 0

GUWonder

What an awful tragedy.

It sounds like the public land-side area arrivals hall, where the public awaits arriving visitors.

Letitride3c

Now, what shall we do with our favorite ______ airport hotel shuttle and/or _____ rental car courtesy shuttle, or that mini-bus trip from/to the satellite or long-term/off-airport parking lot ? Do we set up perimeter screening at the remote boarding location, at the relocated but ?? centralized checkpoint? Or, do it again at the secondaries inside the terminal building/at the curb?

There aren't no easy/simple, all-inclusive solution to the evolving problems of terrorism around the globe - but TSA would like us to believe otherwise with its theatrical production, and a new week had just begun ....

And, I will not be one tiny bit surprise if the "bad gals & guys" will come up with a remotely operated device for its next/upcoming attack, successful or not - if IED worked in places like Iraq, they can and will eventually adopt it elsewhere.

But, alas - to live in fear is losing the war with the terrorist - and, our own TSA, is for many, doing a pretty job at it

GUWonder

Sounds like India. That hasn't put a stop to attacks. There used to seem to be a greater ability to accept that terrorism is an awful, criminal nuisance and is powerless as long as over-reacting to it does not occur, but that era is gone there too.

At least that would help with stopping thefts of baggage done by non-passengers who are not: airport operating company employees/retained parties; airport concession employees; nor government employees (such as TSA or CBP screeners).

While your second paragraph is true, your first paragraph has plenty of exceptions. A couple of the airports I fly into and out of in India do get snow or otherwise hit freezing temperatures, including sub-zero temps.

The post-customs areas in the US can be a crowded mess too at times, but that's less often the case than with the target the TSA creates by making the security screening lines much worse and slower than they need to maintain the same failing ways or even improve their results.

N830MH

There you go! We needs more protections with the passengers & crew, too. That mean they will have keep terrors out of airports or out of the country. They won't happening again in the future another attacks. I do not likes what happened in DME by last night. I was very extremely disappointment the news to hear. It wasn't no one who responsible for suicide attacks at baggage claims areas.

rove312

That seems right; I saw references to it being in an area near VIP lounges and the Asia Cafe.

Flaflyer

Yes, which raises the idea that they wanted to be caught, not actually bring down the plane. Had the bombs gone off, the 300 pax on each plane would be the primary casualties. But by failing, the whole world is the casualty.

Suppose the shoe bomb went off mid Atlantic, where the water is so deep little wreckage would be found, like with the Airbus that went down. We would not know it was a Shoe Bomb that caused the crash, thus there would be no Shoe Carnival for the last 9 years and you would keep your shoes on through the nudeoscope. How many million man hours have been wasted looking at shoes? And it appears to be forever.

If the underwear had exploded over Canada (NOT Detroit) and that part of the plane consumed by a post crash fire, evidence of a bomb could probably be found but the fact it was hidden in underwear would probably not be known. Thus millions of pax would not have their junk played with by TSOs in enhanced patdown assaults. This too seems to be another forever thing.

The finding of the shoe and underwear bombs caused more economic and social damage due to the knee jerk overreaction by TSA. Most likely the shoe bomb might have been real, but AQ must have noticed the economic cost to the world of the failed bomb attempt and realized they do not even need to make bombs that work, just close enough to look real and then get caught on purpose. TSA overreaction will cause more damage than the limited direct bomb damage.

Plus AQ does not even need to recruit suicide bombers, just pretend bombers willing to spend life in a Club Fed cell. Three meals a day, a warm bed, government medical care for life, and lots of time to read your holy book and pray might sound like a major lifestyle improvement to a homeless street person in a third world country with a little jihad spirit.

TXagogo

I for one am extremely concerned about what this means for us - the 99.99999999% of peaceful Americans who are already being harassed and abused at airports.

Of course this is a terrible tragedy - but as I've said before, the world is a dangerous place and we must recognize that we live in an inherently risky world. I am not advocating anarchy or abolishment of security. But I am extremely concerned that ths event will result in yet another knee-jerk, completely inappropriate response by DHS/TSA. I fear that this event will be used as an excuse to further terrify us into submission and justfy the growth of the agency and the funding of even more ridiculous and invasive screening tactics and humiliating rituals in the name of security.

I can only imagine the kinds of talks Pissy and Nappy are in right now. I hope I am not being alarmist but I truly am very very concerned.

RichardKenner

I agree with this and feel that this is the main reason why we haven't seen many suicide bombers in the US.

GUWonder

That's just a dream rooted in the chauvinistic myth of American exceptionalism.

The poorest, least educated persons with the fewest opportunities are nowhere near as often used as suicidal terrorists in far-off lands or even in their own countries as those who are educated enough to have ("self-"/"media-"/"education-")raised expectations that go unfulfilled. It has nothing to do with the US being "the land of opportunity" co-opting people into bubbly consumerism.

oldjonesy

Or the job has been done. Why would the terrorists need or want to do another attack?