Airport Security: Why It Failed

[n2doc]

By LiveScience Staff
posted: 28 December 2009 01:37 pm ET

Airport screening procedures failed for many reasons to catch the Nigerian man who aimed to blow up flight 253 as it approached Detroit. Scanners that might have spotted the explosives are not fully deployed, and even at airports where they exist, the scanners aren't used on all passengers.

Bottom line: No system will likely prove foolproof, experts say.

Investigators say 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab hid an explosive device and the chemical explosive PETN on his body while traveling from Amsterdam to Detroit aboard the Delta flight on Christmas day.

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano admitted the security system didn't suffice.
"Our system did not work in this instance," Napolitano told NBC’s "Today" on Monday. "No one is happy or satisfied with that. An extensive review is under way."

much more:
http://www.livescience.com/technology/091228-airport-security.html

[hayu_lol]

1. With 'Hot Crotch,' no scanners or other electronic protection...

were needed. He had almost every red flag that it is possible to get, and waved them over his head. No one...NO ONE...saw any of them.

Ultimate responsibility belongs to the Netherlands for their personal failures, not machine failures, in this incident.

These security people(and I indict our own as well)see"...as through a glass eye, darkly.

[liberal N proud]

2. Will metal detectors be replaced by body scanners?

And will there be constitutional challenges for them?

That is the million dollar questions of the day?

I say we just all fly naked.

[marshall]

3. And everyone will have to be scanned, absolutely everyone

From the little old ladies from Pasadena to parents with infants and all the usual suspects.

[havocmom]

5. Our Constitution does not apply in the Netherlands

and a whole lotta other places jets depart from

[liberal N proud]

6. True, but that will not stop them from placing new restriction on

domestic flights and check points.

[havocmom]

7. which might give some a warm, fuzzy, and false sense of security

but not do much about the fact that terrorist groups know US might actually screen while other nations sorta just nod.

Sorry, pretend measures really just feed our delusions that we are being defended.

And you stand a better chance of being clobbered by a car on the road anyway.

[napi21]

4. One thing that WOULD improve security is if Obama would

issue an ORDER to all Fed. Employees that they MUST share information! That was the big failure before 911 and was supposed to be cured by establishing Homeland Securoity Dept. IT DIDN'T! The State Dept. received the info from this guy's father about him turning into a fundie expremist, but the TSA didn't have access to that info so he was never put on a no fly list. I know it's an ego thing with each individual dept. and the BIG BOSS has to tell them all that they HAVE TO SHARE!

[havocmom]

8. Yes, and enforce the order. Too many turf wars between enforcement agencies

It makes for some weak links, doesn't it? :thumbsup:

[postulater]

9. A dog would have found the explosive.