Terrorism in the US

[trauma74 111]

I feel compelled to post on this topic.........On Christmas (hmmm, lets see.....a Christian Holiday...people who hate us.......so they attack us)a Terrorist from the Middle East or Africa or wherever he was from, was trying to cause an explosion on a passenger jet. There was over 300 passengers and if this guy was successful, the plane would have crashed and, more than likely, everyone on board would have been killed. What is worse than a terrorist attack on Christmas? This type of attack would cause pain and misery for the citizens of our Country. THANK GOD that this failed. Maybe cause it was Christmas, there was some type of "intervention", maybe on the "Divine" level, that prevented this attack from happening.

As President Obama stated, there was a systemic failure and thats what led to this guy to be able to get on a plane bound for the USA. I just find it ridiculous that after 8 years since 9/11 that our govenment still has not put the proper screening equipment in service at every single international airport in the County. Why hasnt this been done yet??

Now, on the other hand, the US Government is very tight lipped about the attacks that were directed at the USA since 9/11, but were stopped before they were about to take place.

I have some "inside" info from a friend of mine who is a Special Agent with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and while he cannot provide me with Classified info, he has stated to me that there has been numerous attempts of terrorism since 9/11 and that all of these attempts have been thwarted, thanks to the work of the of multiple federal agencies.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Unfortunately the system will never be perfect in many regards but it aggravated me that that government hasn't done everything it can to protect us when it comes to airline travel.

How many El Al planes have been hijacked or blown up in the past 20 to 30 years..none. They had one incident and implemented some of the best airline safety practices in the industry.

How long are we going to put money and the financial well being of the airlines in front of safety? How long do airlines last after they have a major incident with plane anyway?

Every airport screening station should have metal detectors and the explosive residue detection devices which use compressed air and sensors that are extremely sensitive in detecting explosive residue that can be on clothes and/or skin.

I also find it disturbing and appalling that federal agencies still do not communicate and share information with each other. How is there not a system in place that allows this or people going ballistic in high level federal government positions to ensure this is happening. Then again I know some police agencies that border each other or even shifts and detectives in departments that don't so that may explain some of it.

[antiquefirelt 994]

I just find it rediculous that after 8 years since 9/11 that our govenment still has not put the proper screening equipment in service at every single international airport in the County. Why hasnt this been done yet??

Because "we" are far too liberal as a country. Most Americans, while even keeping 9/11 in their minds, still are not willing to be further inconvenienced at the airport. Remember the airline industry has been cutting back personnel and increase ticket overages to the point that many flights are overbooked and require people to be bumped or take a bump. Couple this with longer security lines, possible pat downs, body scanners and treating everyone like their guilty until proven innocent and you'l further damage the air travel industry.

At this point the terrorists have won. We have substantially changed our American way of life, due to 9/11 and subsequent thwarted attacks. We are now fighting amongst ourselves over providing safety while not wanting to offend anyone or violate their rights of privacy.

Face it, no one will ever take another airplane by hijacking it, as the passengers must assume the worst and will overtake the hijacker at any costs. And why not, there's nothing to lose and everything to gain? Once we get airplanes secure, what next? Malls? Times Square? Cruise Ships? Commuter Rail?

We all want to be safe, but we must face the reality that we now live in a far more dangerous country than ever before and we must decide what the balance will be: Free Americans or a more secure state where we're a little less entitled to conveniences.

[helicopper 1,050]

As President Obama stated, there was a systemic failure and thats what led to this guy to be able to get on a plane bound for the USA. I just find it ridiculous that after 8 years since 9/11 that our govenment still has not put the proper screening equipment in service at every single international airport in the County. Why hasnt this been done yet??

I'd just like to point out that this flight did not originate within the US and therefore security was not under the purview of the TSA. Security at almost all international airports is comparable but the screening failure in this case was not the fault of the US.

Other issues, like the warning from the terrorists father himself, are of greater concern and should be addressed. All the hype about improving and streamlining the exchange of intel after 9/11 were rhetoric because all that changed is the size and complexity of the bureaucracy.

At some point we have to decide what security is going to mean and what we will do to achieve it. The debate over civil liberties and screening/security is absurd. If you don't want to submit to screening, drive yourself to Disney or whereever you're going! You shouldn't be allowed on the flight with all who do submit to the required security procedures.

On the subject of terrorism, how about discussing the President's use of the word suspect instead of terrorist or combatant and his insistence that we expend millions of dollars to try them in civilian courts, like New York City. The costs and security implications of this are mind boggling and yet we're willing to incur this expense. Why?

[AJU 39]

Other issues, like the warning from the terrorists father himself, are of greater concern and should be addressed. All the hype about improving and streamlining the exchange of intel after 9/11 were rhetoric because all that changed is the size and complexity of the bureaucracy.

In my opinion, this is the biggest concern of all. Screening is important, but it's a reactive method and only looks for means that have been employed in the past. Profiling the terrorists themselves is something that's done tentatively, because of the obvious civil rights concerns, but if (as I think is made clear in the Christmas example) the intelligence is there and is acted upon we could avert these situations.

There is a pretty clear mold that these suicide bombers fit into, and after that fact it always turns out that we have had many peices of the puzzle all along. Why not consolidate or at least interface all the databases held by various government bodies and design software to identify people who fit the profile? Any business running multiple systems would do this to protect their financial exposure - isn't human life more important?

On the subject of terrorism, how about discussing the President's use of the word suspect instead of terrorist or combatant and his insistence that we expend millions of dollars to try them in civilian courts, like New York City. The costs and security implications of this are mind boggling and yet we're willing to incur this expense. Why?

Maybe doing this on the world stage rather than in some hidden secure location will deter would-be terrorists or converts. I don't really think the gamble is worth the enormous cost, but maybe that's a motivating factor.

[Doc 11]

I think the present situation, including the issues of multiple leaks of critical TSA operational documents to bloggers, is indicative of a lot of fundamental and uncomfortable work yet to be done. It's easy enough for the TSA to simply shovel the burden into their screening agents and the US public by requiring new levels of pre-boarding screening, full body searches, bans of carry-on materials, and even, if they felt the need (there is always the justification), random strip searches. These obvious precautions present the image to the public that they are "doing their jobs better". However, will this stop TSA agents from E-mailing operations manuals to bloggers? Will patting down EVERY domestic passenger in the US prevent an attack by an international originating passenger who breezed through lax foreign screening? Going after the airlines themselves and other parties responsible for securing foreign originating flights is far more politically sensitive to the Homeland Security leadership and politicians who keep them funded. It's a difficult but criticial proposition to making real improvements to our safety. Similarly, finding the leaks that get official documents on detailed screening procedures published on the internet, by amateurs, means uncomfortable and difficult internal investigations in a massive agency that has, in the past, had issues with self-policing. All the bomb sniffers, x-rays, NMR spectrometers, trained dogs and probing gloved hands are worthless if airports in Egypt are letting it slide or if agents are routinely passing out secure information to their friends on Facebook.

Banning mouthwash and mid-flight pee breaks is pointless without the other efforts. Recent events prove it.

[antiquefirelt 994]

I've really failed to grasp any of the security measures that have been talked about after the plane has been boarded. So the terrorist (not suspect)can't go tot he little boys room to put together his bomb? Hell most flights I've been on they're hasn't been a guarantee you'd get a chance to use the toilet.

This is like banning handguns. Murder is already illegal, those who want to kill others will not hesitate to illegally carry a firearm. Once the terrorist is on the plane with his materials, it's up to him or one of us to secure the final outcome.

Preventing the bomb materials from being brought on board is the key, but can we do it without completely turning the air travel industry on its head? Arrive at the airport 4 hrs before schedule? Are you kidding, watch rail service and highways become far more popular. It's becoming far more expensive and a hassle to fly, now when the trip is less than 6-8 hours driving, why fly?

Maybe we do need to require all flights into the US be screened like the ones that originate here? We'll be waiting 4 hrs in the airport to fly domestically, while some Jihadist can board a plane in Paris nearly unchecked? And this makes us safer how? Someone needs to inject the DHS and TSA with some reality.

Edited December 31, 2009 by antiquefirelt

[hudson144 150]

Christmas Eve I got a call from a friend saying that she was in a local deli and 5 shady characters were in the store questioning the person behind the counter,now I am not into profiling however when you live 1 mile from a nuclear power plant and the threat exists you have follow your gutt feeling. I went to the deli and ended up following and notifying the local police agency of 5 individuals going north with the tailights out, they were traveling in the direction to Indian Point but did not turn to go there,they were pulled over and all checked out ok. Don't sit back and wait-react to something that might not be right! You never know!

[ny10570 745]

Chris, the security overseas on any flight terminating within the US must be screened in a manner approved by the TSA. Their security is at least as good as ours, and they follow through with their latest commitment to add back scatter imaging to all screening stations will be better than ours.

All of the anit-terror money and hype has been grossly misspent and mismanaged. Over and over local community policing has been the key to discovering and disrupting terrorist activities. We need federal help in coordination and sharing information and resources. Instead we have multiple federal agencies competing for attention trying to be everywhere at once. Empower local cops to do their job and you will get the results.

[Guest]

Being a pilot myself it is easy to see when and how security breaches occur (and they do). I work at the Dutchess County Airport and we do not screen individuals before they board aircraft. We have no security precautions what so ever for personnel entering and exiting the ramp area. We deal with all types of aircraft ranging from small Cessna 152's to Bombardier Challenger fives. A challenger five is slightly smaller than a CRJ 700, an ERJ, or a Boeing 717. These aircraft if taken could do quite a bit of damage. Also there is NO security door between the passengers and the pilots so if a terrorist organization truly wanted to, all they would have to do is charter an aircraft. Even if an individual is on the no fly list they would be able to charter an aircraft from a private corporation. Airport security is not what it should be and I think that it would benefit us as Americans to have stronger security measures even if it means a bit more discomfort. Look at the new full body scanners being put in place around the world. They aren't in American airports yet because our population whines and complains about privacy issues. Your about to get on an airplane with 300 strangers and you are going to put everybody in danger because you don’t want your privacy violated. Come on, these security measures keep failing is entirely the fault of the populous constantly moaning about ridiculous things. Yes the gov't could communicate better but without the cooperation of the consumer (who is always right) the airlines are forced to continue to make compromises in our safety to keep others happy.