Hi, from a "sky marshall"'s DU Mommy :)

crossposted from Ed/Article forum:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ma...

<snip>
Many security and law enforcement experts said Thursday that the shooting may have been an unfortunate byproduct of the porous nature of the current system for screening airline passengers.

"Air marshals have zero trust in the screeners," said one marshal who requested anonymity. Because Homeland Security policy forbids marshals from speaking out about their job or criticizing the service, no marshals would speak for attribution. One air marshal is suing Homeland Security over the policy.

I.C. Smith, a retired FBI agent and national security expert, said: "It is clear these marshals know that these security checkpoints are not fail-safe. You read about reports all the time of stuff slipping through. They have to really expect the worst. And I think that is probably what happened in this case."

DeFazio said the shooting should prompt reassessment of screening procedures and equipment that he called outdated.

"We're running passenger checkpoints for carry-on bags that are incapable of finding plastic explosives," DeFazio said by telephone from an airport where he was waiting for a flight. "The kind of X-rays they're using were thrown out of the Capitol years ago because they weren't able to catch anything.

"We have technologies — walk-through portals — but the administration doesn't want to spend the money to buy it," he said.
<snip>

:hi:

Edit: tried to find my original link in Ed/Art, sorry, probably dropped too fast :shrug:

"Recent tests of airport security to determine whether screeners would discover concealed guns, knives, and simulated bombs had failure rates comparable to tests done in the 1980s and 1990s, says Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), who was briefed in April on the classified results. The earlier tests showed that screeners missed roughly 20 percent of the prohibited items at checkpoints and that screeners using X-ray machines to examine luggage missed 2 of every 3 bags carrying simulated explosives."

http://www.motherjones.com/news/outfront/2004/07/06_400 ...

meanwhile cargo isn't undergoing screening.

Passengers aren't the problem --

the problem is the typical GOP crap -- where everyone except the very very very rich folk are the enemy.

Passengers are treated like the enemy ....

the guy was murdered --- and nothing will take that FACT away.

Also I hate to fly because I know that the armed freaks are dangerous -- and that is the federal idiots who carry guns and don't know the different between a panic attack -- plus treating the passengers like they were ALSO criminals -- forcing people to deplane with their hand on their heads is criminal.

God I really do hate what bushie and his fans have done to the US.

This article is bull shit -- trying to find excuses for murdering a passenger.

The asshole untrained, unqualified jerks murdered a passenger. They are/were the terrorists -- they are dangerous.

"Air marshals have zero trust in the screeners,"

"We're running passenger checkpoints for carry-on bags that are incapable of finding plastic explosives,"

and

Many of us have zero trust in the air marshals...because they cannot tell the difference between the mentally ill and a bomber!!!

So, let's fix it instead of looking for excuses and scapegoats.