Do we seriously think that Janet Napolitano and her advisers had a staff meeting and concluded that a new airport screening policy which would aggravate and embarrass millions of Americans by having the government handle their private parts ... was something good to do just for the heck of it?
We are standing in line with our shoes off, our bodies being frisked, our miniature shampoo bottles in clear plastic bags, and leaving our printer cartridges at home for real reasons. The reasons are that an airplane was almost blown up by a bomb in a shoe, another airplane was nearly downed by a bomb concealed in underwear, ten airliners might have been blown up simultaneously by smuggling explosive chemicals on board in plastic bottles, and two planes were recently nearly destroyed with bombs disguised as printer cartridges.
All failed. One was a badly designed weapon and fizzled. The other events had devices deemed sufficient to bring down the aircraft but were stopped due to luck, passengers taking action, and good intelligence work ... but on another day they might have exploded. To have not enacted - or to remove - the inconvenient security measures at the airport following these events would surely have been, or be, an invitation to the possibility of successful repeat attempts. Were we to now remove these measures, it is certain that terrorists would take note of that fact.
So, in the arguments to remove some of these measures, how lucky do we feel? Why not profile? Profiling is an exercise in probabilities, likelihood, and luck. Again, how lucky do we feel? Patting us down removes those factors. Is it worth it?
Let's not blame TSA screeners. It is doubtful they are enamored with their newly assigned duties. Why not blame the people responsible for our having to deal with these issues in the first place? A phrase familiar to readers of this blog site is "Do we seriously think we are standing in security lines at the airport because of the fear of the behavior of Baptists, Hindus, and Buddhists"? Perhaps best to save our anger and criticism for those responsible and their ideology.
Here are the people directly responsible for your woes in the airport security lines. Note any commonalities in ideology.
Shoes off?!Richard Reid. An al-Qaeda Islamic extremist who attempted to light a fuse on a bomb concealed in his shoe on a Paris to Miami flight. The bomb was judged viable but failed due to a wet fuse and actions by passengers to subdue him.
Why the pat down?Umar Abdul Mutallab. A Nigerian Islamic extremist with suspected ties to Al-Qaeda, triggered a bomb, concealed in his underwear, on an Amsterdam to Detroit flight. The device was judged sufficient to destroy the plane. Fuse fizzled. Subdued by passengers.
Shampoo in a clear bag?Tanvir Hussain, Abdulla Ahmed Ali and Assad Sarwar. British Islamic extremists believed to be directed by Al-Qaeda. Convicted of a plot to bring down 7-10 North American airliners simultaneously with chemicals stored in small plastic containers.
No printer cartridges?No arrests currently public. Viable bombs using timers, cell phone, and explosive chemicals in ink cartridges were intercepted prior to detonation on two cargo planes. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is suspected by intelligence agencies.
