ABC has the pictures of Umar Farouk Abdulmutalla’s underwear:
And you can see for yourself none of the present day security at our airports could of protected us against that, except the technology our Congress is attempting to ban:
Privacy advocates, for example, have tried to stop or at least slow the introduction of advanced checkpoint screening devices that use so-called millimeter waves to create an image of a passenger’s body, so officers can see under clothing to determine if a weapon or explosive has been hidden. Security officers, in a private area, review the images, which are not stored. Legislation is pending in the House that would prohibit the use of this equipment for routine passenger screening.
The other method used is to use swabs on a persons skin to test for any trace amounts of the explosive but this is only used on those who are placed on the watch list, which they didn’t do for Abdulmutalla despite the warnings from his father.
Danger Room describes the process of the first scan: (h/t Hot Air)
“Facial features” (and, presumably, other body parts) “are blurred when our officers see the images,” the TSA insists. Nor will the agency “keep, store or transmit images. Once deleted, they are gone forever…. For additional privacy, the officer viewing the image is in a separate room and will never see the passenger, and the officer attending to the passenger will never see the image.”…
“Yes, there is some brief violation of privacy with a full-body scan,” Rep. Peter King, the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, told Face the Nation. “But on the other hand, if we can save thousands of lives, to me, we have to make that decision, and we have to come down on the side of saving thousands of lives.”
As for Abdulmutalla, the terrorist had help of course and my oh my….guess where they came from:
Two of the four leaders allegedly behind the al Qaeda plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines passenger jet over Detroit were released by the U.S. from the Guantanamo prison in November, 2007, according to American officials and Department of Defense documents. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the Northwest bombing in a Monday statement that vowed more attacks on Americans.
American officials agreed to send the two terrorists from Guantanamo to Saudi Arabia where they entered into an “art therapy rehabilitation program” and were set free, according to U.S. and Saudi officials.
Guantanamo prisoner #333, Muhamad Attik al-Harbi, and prisoner #372, Said Ali Shari, were sent to Saudi Arabia on Nov. 9, 2007, according to the Defense Department log of detainees who were released from American custody. Al-Harbi has since changed his name to Muhamad al-Awfi…
“The so-called rehabilitation programs are a joke,” a U.S. diplomat said in describing the Saudi efforts with released Guantanamo detainees.
Art therapy……yeaaaaah.
These two were released under the Bush administration, and it most certainly was a mistake brought on by the intense pressure of the left to close Gitmo, but the releases under Bush will pale in comparison to Obama who now leads us now the path of mirandizing our enemy on the battlefield and closing Gitmo. Hell, it was just a few days ago that news of the impending release of 6 Gitmo prisoners to Yemen hit the airwaves:
The Obama administration is planning to repatriate six Yemenis held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a transfer that could be a prelude to the release of dozens more detainees to Yemen, according to sources with independent knowledge of the matter.
The release is a significant first step toward dealing with the largest group of detainees at the prison — there are currently 97 Yemenis there — and toward meeting President Obama’s goal of closing the facility.
But Yemen’s security problems and lack of resources have spawned fears about its ability to monitor and rehabilitate returnees. Critics of the administration charge that returning detainees to Yemen, a country where al-Qaeda is believed to be thriving, is tantamount to returning terrorists to the battlefield.
What will Obama’s reaction be? If he blames Bush then how in the world will he be able to justify the closing of Gitmo and the release of dozens of terrorists?
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Am I asking the obvious, but how would he enjoy all those virgins with his necessary “parts” all blown off?
The back scatter technology will not prevent smuggling a bomb onto an airplane either. The attempted murder of the Saudi prince should have made that clear enough to everyone.
The last worth while thing I did in the military some 28 years ago, was part of a test of aircraft security and counter measures. We spent the better part of a month beating the ever loving hell out of each other to come to the final conclusion that there is no way to secure a vessel with 100+ strangers. Four men working together wearing nothing but soccer shorts and socks can take control of any aircraft. And once in control, even temporarily, there are far too many ways to down the aircraft with or without explosives.
Only a concerted response by the passengers and crew is effective. In my personal opinion, flt 93’s passengers effectively won the air war on terror. Each successive skirmish has simply reestablished that fact as again and again passengers repeat the new attitude, “No we will not sit down and be calm.”
I’m not opposed to the use of technology, but technology is only a tool that filters out the stupid or the sloppy probes of security. Technology helps to keep the fight between the passengers and the would be Jihadist relatively fair.
But I will grantee you this. I can bring enough explosive to down any airliner in the world through any airport screening system and smuggle a functioning detonation system or build one on the plane. Even if they made everyone diss-robe and wear bath robes for the duration of the flight.
The only defense is a vicious and relentless offense. Kill them before they get on the plane, and accept that they will eventually make some successful attacks. So we will have civilian casualties.
To quote commenter RKae at Moonbattery, “The way we fight wars now is beyond ineffective. It’s actually bordering on sketch comedy.”
We are becoming so good at closing the barn doors after the horse is gone that it is almost comical. It is just so easy to write new rules. Everyone sit quietly with your hands in your lap for the last hour of the flight. (Imagine making your kids comply with that.) Lets continue to kill the struggling airline industry by making it more and more difficult to be a passenger. I think I’ll just drive.
Its easy to write rules. It is hard to develop the actionable intelligence to make a smoking hole out of the site (and people) that trained the Nigerian. We have an incredible military with the ability to reach out and touch bad guys almost anywhere in the world. What we don’t have is the will to call them bad guys and proceed accordingly.
I fear that we will have to experience more significant losses before we take the terrorist threat seriously.
These new rules remind me of the hysteria 8 & 10 years ago. Remember when they stopped letting people get out of their cars even for a few seconds when dropping off or picking up passengers at airports? Do you remember what their big threat was? They would immediately tow your car.
Think on that a second.
.
Who exactly would be intimidated by that prospect? Would someone using the car as a bomb be worried,,, “Oh noes,,, what if they tow my car?”,,,, well, would they?
No, they would not. They would simply arm a mercury switch, get out of the car walk over and get into a waiting friends car or taxi, and leave. As soon as the tow truck hooked up to the car and lifted it BOOOM!!
The very security control measure against the VIED would be the trigger for setting it off.
It was the similar thing some 5 years later when some kids ran the wrong way through a gate. They evacuated every single gate and aircraft and forced everyone into a large hall to go back through security. So we went from having everyone dispersed through out the entire airport, to having perhaps up to 10,000 people standing 8 lines wide in one giant hall, where no one has had to clear security. At that point a couple people with satchel charges could have killed more people in less time than died on 9/11. We were all fish in a barrel thanks again to the security precautions. And if the original threat, some teen age kids breaching security with a weapon,,, there are thousands of places they could have stashed the weapon for someone to pick up later. Another zero gain in security and massively increased risk to a greater number of people.
God help us when the government tries to protect us.
The one consistent thing is, the maximum imposition to the maximum number of people. That way they know that the government is doing something to save them.
This habit of calling it Man-Made-Disaster and taking a pre-9/11 mentality to the situation is the equal of attempting to cut out a tumor from a cancer victim by placing a simple bandaid on the tumor. Sorry for the one-liner, but that is pretty much how I feel.
Semi-off tangent, but I am a Gamer of sorts and one of my more favorite titles to play has been Sins of a Solar Empire. That is a rather decent title to simulate cultural warfare and land disputes that plague reality to gather a few lessons in the enemy’s mentality. One key weapon to use in that game just like real life is Cultural warfare, and in real life American Culture seems to be quickly degrading while Progressive cultures influenced by the former Soviet Union’s ideals and that of Extreme religous hatred (athiest and Muslim hate) for tradtional American culture is taking root. If we are to win against this War on Terrorism, or better a War of Cultures, then we must start to re-adjust our lives to stop consuming en masse the media that encourages the enemy behavior. This includes boycotting products advertised on CNN and MSNBC and even printed press that cuddles the enemy’s agenda. Their sales are declining, but it is not fast enough to force them the message that we should not tollerate their perversing of American Culture though lies and deception of facts.
Otherwise, no matter how harden our future Leadership towards winning this fight it won’t matter as the local and National Culture has been decayed to cheer on the enemy and shun the legitimate civilian and solider of America.
Pictured here is probably the only real justice this Yoda-head will receive. Somehow blowing off your willie with your own bomb is almost poetic.
Davey, I am sure that Obama and Pelosi will be inquiring into re-constructive surgery for the homicidal maniac pin head’s Willy, after all he has the Fundamentalist Muslim Philosophy that Obama admires. He didn’t intend on destroying his Willy, that was collateral damage. Apparently, Pelosi knows some plastic surgeons, of dubious ability, quite well. If we repair his reproductive equipment, the Fundamentalist Muslims will love us even more than they do already.
This can be a win win situation for Obama and Pelosi; our Progressive Socialists will love their compassionate bleeding heart philosophy and the Fundamentalist Muslims will be laughing so hard they wont be able to concentrate on making bombs.
I’d like to point out that even if we do start using these new scanning booths here in the States it won’t be a guarantee that other Nations will put these security devices into place let alone enforce any means of security checks. We should make every effort to check persons whom physicaly match inviduals on all wanted/no fly/bounty list and focus on persons from certain faiths only. Hell, even Airplane 1 and 2 made a serious of jokes related to Airline security protocols and how they manhandle the wrong people in security checks. Until Political Correctness is killed, we will never be able to totally shut down any means of attacks and many real lives could be lost in years to come.
We’d get faster and better reaction if all our congress-critters had to fly commercial and not on their special planes. Which, btw, makes me wonder why Pelosi needs a 240-seat plane to fly to CA. She needs to fly coach and damn soon!
She needs a 240 seat plane to surround herself with personal friends, wait staff, and aides to buffer herself from the reality that is gripping common Americans and from physical violence. She’s not a well loved or respected by a lot of people, and if she was in public with minimal security she should end up very gravely harmed by some mad person from either political spectrum.
Looks like they took $4.5 million from screening operations and explosives detection and gave it to the firefighter’s union.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Sen-Dodd-D-Conn-slashed-aviation-security-funding-for-pet-constituency-80209967.html
That is a scary news article Missy and prompts a question: What is to keep such behavior from ransacking the taxes and funds allocated to Healthcare Reform Bill from happening? Little to nothing if people whom consume their news from the major outlets that refuse to cover these scandals.
Couldn’t we just use these detection things on Muslims?
Bill that would be profiling, and everyon knows that profiling people of the same ethnic, religious and social back ground works, as evidence by El Al airlines in Israel. But this is not about being effective, this is about not hurting anyones feelings or making people angry that their neighbors are terrorists.
Yes, congressional members flying commercial rather than Elite planes provided by us the tax payer might change the situation very quickly. If Pelosi is in danger with the common people, she is no longer qualified to lead the common people and should retire. She can then do her dramatic readings with tears, full time for You Boob.
Do Muslim Fanatics all wear women’s underwear? I don’t think the 72 virgins will be impressed.
Sorry, but those undies look like the kind my granny wore back in ’46. Do all muslim terrorists cross dress for the occasion of a big blow-up?
Why the expensive scanners when bomb/drug/lizard/bird/etc -sniffing dogs, in combination with our existing metal detectors, would work just as well without causing privacy concerns?
Scanners (or dogs) are just a deterrent, not a dependable protection. I agree with TSgt Ciz (comment #2): four men could take down an airliner with nothing but their bare hands.
Just as soon as the ‘back scatter’ detectors are installed, some muslim will surgically implant a bomb and slip past security. Then what, full body x-rays for everyone. Passengers will have to get to the airport 4-5 days early to fly, 7 days for international fights. Then they will start targeting trains. Then buses or malls.
I understand that AQ in Yemen has already purchased two backscatter machines. Probably to figure out how to get past them. But from what I understand about the forced use method, they already were prepared. When people are scanned the observer has to blur our the genitalia and facial areas. So they wouldn’t have seen the bomb sewn into his underwear any damn how.
Beside, think about how much 3oz of this material is. Ever hear about some drug mule smuggling more than 3oz of drugs? Yeah, it wont be hard for them to get enough PETN on any aircraft even with the backscatter machines.
This failed terrorist attack proves that the government learned nothing about 911 and air security. There should have been flags raised all around “airport security” about this scumbag before he even set foot in the airport. The modus operandus was little different from “the shoe bomber” with the main difference being where he hid the expolsives. Will we all have to take off our underwear before each flight?
No luggage.
No passport
He bought the one way ticket with cash.
His father tried to warn the US three different times.
He was on a terrorist watch list, but not the no-fly list.
There is no need to add even more safety procedures. The agents just need to get their bureaucratic heads out of their asses, use the current methods at their disposal (including checking over people who most fit the profile, and NOT so much those who don’t) and above all Obama’s National security agencies need to use some damn common sense.
While they’re at it, FIRE that incompetent, unqualified Janet Napolitano fool.
Ditto, Ditto!
Skookum—– Would that surgery leave him with one of those permanent Pelosi super grins?
@ Davey, let’s hope so, it will surely be a great source of amusement among the faggy boys in the new Illinois prison that we will spend billions on to house Obama’s brothers; rather than building a scaffold for ten thousand.
That’s what he gets for buying Fatima’s Secret brand lingerie.
What happened when his brother borrowed a pair of his shorts…
All searches of persons, luggage and private belongings at airports in the United States by the TSA (Trasportation Security Administration) are patently illegal and unconstitutional.
Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures. It was ratified as a response to the abuse of the writ of assistance, which is a type of general search warrant, in the American Revolution. The amendment specifically also requires search and arrest warrants be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause. Search and arrest should be limited in scope according to specific information supplied to the issuing court, usually by a law enforcement officer, who has sworn by it.
In Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643 (1961), the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourth Amendment applies to the states by way of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court has also ruled that certain searches and seizures violated the Fourth Amendment even when a warrant was properly granted.*
Probable cause
In United States criminal law, probable cause refers to the standard by which a police officer has the authority to make an arrest, conduct a personal or property search, or to obtain a warrant for arrest. It is also used to refer to the standard to which a grand jury believes that a crime has been committed. This term comes from the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution:
â��The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.â�� — Fourth Amendment, Bill of Rights.*
*from Wikipedia.
Nude scanning of indivuduals at airports is to be opposed fully, completely and totally. It is an invasion of privacy not permitted without probable cause. Searches of person and property can only be accomplished according to the Constitution of the United States of America. Without probable cause, the nude scanning of individuals is molestation and voyeurism at its very worse.
Rep. Tom McClintock, a California Republican who co-sponsored the legislation however, called the scanning “a virtual strip search” and said security officials can use less invasive methods such as bomb-sniffing dogs to detect explosives.
“It is precisely the same as being pulled into a side room and being ordered to remove your clothes physically,” he said. “In either event, your nude image is being inspected by several security guards.”**
However, another California Republican, Rep. Dan Lungren, who’s been promoting the technology for four years, said the Christmas Day incident should help support his cause when Congress reconvenes in January.**
**from http://www.mcclatchydc.com/nation/story/81412.html.
Note that Rep. Dan Lungren is making an unsubstatiated comment. There is no way that any person, let alone hundreds or thousands, at an airport could be said to be a suspect. Neither is there any implication that, in a court of law, it could be shown that there was probable cause for any of the thousands of searches that the TSA conducts. None.
Only in a fascist, communist run government could there be such wholesale inculpation. Each unlawful and unconstitutional search by TSA and the US government is tantamount to a false arrest and molestation of the privacy of individual citizens subjected to nude scanning. Unchecked or stopped, the current TSA �security screening� is allowing TSA to commit pornographic voyeurism en masse. To allow these types of searches to exist or continue in the United States is moral debasement by citizens and elected officials.
There are alternatives to illegal and unjustified law enforcement; alternatives that do not put billions of dollars into the hands of scanning system salesmen, manufacturers, and nude scanning promoters � all voyeurs, molesters and immoral creeps.