http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/11/airport-security-reports -where-are-the-airlines/66607/
Airport Security Reports: 'Where Are the Airlines?' By James Fallows Really, I'm not trying to overdo this, but reports keep flowing in 1) This is being sent from the United/Air New Zealand holding area at Sydney airport, waiting for the flight to Los Angeles. Sydney airport security system: simple metal detector, shoes kept on, no pat down of any sort. Background anxiety: often at the last minute, there's an extra security surprise inspection for passengers on flights to the US. Will know one way or another soon. 2) Just now, from a Westerner who travels throughout China: >> I travel fairly often within China, and I've NEVER been ordered to take off clothing or otherwise been humiliated by security personnel. At the Guiyang airport security opened my bag, took out a large knife and bottle of liquor, and only said " You'll have to check this bag." . No threats of prison, no charges. For me at least travel in China is much more pleasant than in the US, because I don't have to deal with surly prison guards.<< 2A) Another Western traveler in China reports: >>China does pat downs, usually by attractive twentysomething female officers, and as far as I know, no one complains. The TSA should study this approach.<< 3) Recently I asked rhetorically where was the public figure to speak up for the "liberty" side of the liberty-v-security balance. A reader suggests this answer (which may in part explain where there aren't more figures taking that side): >>Not sure where he stood on this issue, but in general the answer to who asks the tough questions others don't is (through the lame duck session) Russ Feingold, of course- on the Patriot Act, the Afghanistan war, and many other issues. So sad he's been voted out. Can't think of who can replace him. Hope he gets a position where he's still have a public voice.<< 4) Recently I quoted <http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/11/body-searching-children -no-for-the-us-army-yes-for-the-tsa/66535/> an Army staff sergeant in Afghanistan who said that US military policy outlawed in Afghanistan the kind of intrusive searches now routine at US airports. In response a reader writes: >>Although I agree with the sentiments of the US Army staff sergeant, I take issue with his crack in the last sentence about "the current administration" [being at fault]. The excesses of the TSA have been with us since its formation under George W Bush. And civil libertarians have been pointing them out all along. But only in the last couple of years have conservatives (as I assume most Army staff sergeants are) begun to take notice and criticize the policies of the global war on terror -- I count among these policies the tendency to deficit-finance the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.<< I don't know whether that's a fair point about the staff sergeant who wrote in. In general it's true that traditional conservatives have been slow to rouse on the excesses of the post-9/11 security state. 5) I mentioned recently <http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/11/national-opt-out-day/66 485/> Patrick Smith's powerful "Ask the Pilot" column <http://www.salon.com/technology/ask_the_pilot/2010/11/10/airport_security/i ndex.html> about the irrationality of our airport security approach. He just sent a message expanding on the basic logic of his argument -- and unsustainable illogic of the TSA strategy. The scanners and "enhanced" pat-downs are symptoms, which may be drawing attention to a more fundamental problem. Emphasis added: >>Yes, the scanners raise health issues and some very important privacy issues, as do the pat-downs. But no less importantly, they are part of what has become an unsustainable security strategy: that is, treating each and ever passenger, from an infant children to uniformed crewmembers, as potential terrorists, and attempting to inspect their bodies and belongings for each and every possible weapon. This simply isn't a realistic approach in a country where more than two million people fly daily. The body scanners are part of an arms race. First came Richard Reid and so we all need to take our shoes off; then came the underwear bomber and so now we're body-scanned and groped? What might be next? We cannot protect ourselves from every conceivable threat, and we need to acknowledge that while coming up with a strategy that is efficient, reasonable, and effective, and in tune with the hierarchy of threat. What we have right now is none of those things. We are literally strip-searching the entire flying public, from preschoolers to pilots, and rifling through their bags for things -- knives and scissors -- that are harmless in the first place. All of this while freight from overseas goes uninspected for bombs and explosives. And again, where are the airlines? When TSA begins to drive away customers, they'll react, is the stock answer. I would argue that it already does drive away customers (certainly if the emails I receive are any indication), but what of those it "merely" makes angry? There's something wrong with a business model that accepts angry and harassed customers as an acceptable option to no customers at all.<< 6) If you're looking for kilts that will make you feel extra-manly as you go through the pat-down procedure, this <http://www.utilikilts.com/> is the place to do your shopping. Thanks to BW for this. I'll try to let this alone for a little while now. This article available online at: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/11/airport-security-reports -where-are-the-airlines/66607/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [email protected]. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [email protected] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtmlYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
