HuffPo Home Page? It's Skeletor-iffic! "Chertoff Cashes In...Backs Measures That Would Benefit Him"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Fear Pays: Chertoff, Ex-Security Officials Slammed For Cashing In On Government Experience

First Posted: 11-23-10 06:16 PM | Updated: 11-23-10 09:45 PM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/23/fear_pays_chertoff_n_787711.html

After last month's plot to send bombs from Yemen to the United States aboard a cargo plane, former U.S. Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff's whiskerless visage was ubiquitous on cable news. Solemnly warning that the nation needed stronger security procedures, Chertoff patiently repeated his talking points on ABC News's "World News Tonight", "Fox and Friends", CNBC's "Squawk Box" and Bloomberg TV.

Almost unmentioned in these appearances: Chertoff has a lot to gain financially if some of these measures are adopted. Between his private consulting firm, The Chertoff Group, and seats on the boards of giant defense and security firms, he sits at the heart of the giant security nexus created in the wake of 9/11, in effect creating a shadow homeland security agency. Chertoff launched his firm just days after President Barack Obama took office, eventually recruiting at least 11 top officials from the Department of Homeland Security, as well as former CIA director General Michael Hayden and other top military brass and security officials.

(Chertoff's predecessor at DHS, Tom Ridge, has also parlayed his experience into a lucrative career. Since 2005, he has served on the board of Savi Technology, the primary technology provider for the Pentagon's wireless cargo-monitoring network, and he has served as a senior advisor to TechRadium, Inc., a Texas-based security technology company.)

Chertoff's clients have prospered in the last two years, largely through lucrative government contracts, and The Chertoff Group's assistance in navigating the complex federal procurement bureaucracy is in high demand. One example involves the company at the heart of the recent uproar over intrusive airport security procedures -- Rapiscan, which makes the so-called body scanners. Back in 2005, Chertoff was promoting the technology and Homeland Security placed the government's first order, buying five Rapiscan scanners.

[ellenfl]

1. no news here. just bisiness as usual. eom

[2Design]

2. TSA Security Theater or Security

http://www.freelancetourist.com/security-theater-or-security/#comment-25

When the gen­tle­man from San Diego stripped to his biker shorts to avoid being molested again, he was told he had to put his clothes back on. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Passenger-Chooses-Strip-Down-Over-Pat-Down-109872589.html?dr It is obvi­ous from a visual perusal of his body that he has no explo­sives or other devices on him. If this was REALLY about secu­rity that should have been enough. This is no longer about secu­rity it is about sex­ual assault, molest­ing and power.

Same story another writeup http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40314284/ns/travel-news/

A pre­tense of security.

If you require a machine to see some­one naked, or sex­ual assault renamed Enhanced Pat down, then hav­ing some­one striped down to their biker shorts allows that same view with­out molesta­tion. IF this was REALLY about secu­rity pas­sen­gers should be allowed to strip down to under­wear in order to NOT be molested.

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And the plan is to move these assaults on our freedom to trains and subways too
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-07-16-tsa16_ST_N.htm