The TSA is completely useless

[aerius]

ABC news link

EXCLUSIVE: Undercover DHS Tests Find Security Failures at US Airports
Jun 1, 2015, 7:04 AM ET
By JUSTIN FISHEL, PIERRE THOMAS, MIKE LEVINE and JACK DATE

An internal investigation of the Transportation Security Administration revealed security failures at dozens of the nation’s busiest airports, where undercover investigators were able to smuggle mock explosives or banned weapons through checkpoints in 95 percent of trials, ABC News has learned.

The series of tests were conducted by Homeland Security Red Teams who pose as passengers, setting out to beat the system.

According to officials briefed on the results of a recent Homeland Security Inspector General’s report, TSA agents failed 67 out of 70 tests, with Red Team members repeatedly able to get potential weapons through checkpoints.

In one test an undercover agent was stopped after setting off an alarm at a magnetometer, but TSA screeners failed to detect a fake explosive device that was taped to his back during a follow-on pat down.

Officials would not divulge the exact time period of the testing other than to say it concluded recently.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was apparently so frustrated by the findings he sought a detailed briefing on them last week at TSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, according to sources. U.S. officials insisted changes have already been made at airports to address vulnerabilities identified by the latest tests.

“Upon learning the initial findings of the Office of Inspector General's report, Secretary Johnson immediately directed TSA to implement a series of actions, several of which are now in place, to address the issues raised in the report,” the DHS said in a written statement to ABC News.

Homeland security officials insist that security at the nation’s airports is strong – that there are layers of security including bomb sniffing dogs and other technologies seen and unseen. But the officials that ABC News spoke to admit these were disappointing results.

This is not the first time the TSA has had trouble spotting Red Team agents. A similar episode played out in 2013, when an undercover investigator with a fake bomb hidden on his body passed through a metal detector, went through a pat-down at New Jersey's Newark Liberty Airport, and was never caught.

At the time, the TSA said Red Team tests occurred weekly all over the United States and were meant to “push the boundaries of our people, processes, and technology.”

“We know that the adversary innovates and we have to push ourselves to capacity in order to remain one step ahead,” a TSA official wrote on the agency’s blog in March 2013. “[O]ur testers often make these covert tests as difficult as possible.”

In a 2013 hearing on Capitol Hill, then-TSA administrator John Pistole, described the Red Team as “super terrorists,” who know precisely which weaknesses to exploit.

“[Testers] know exactly what our protocols are. They can create and devise and conceal items that … not even the best terrorists would be able to do,” Pistole told lawmakers at a House hearing.

More recently, the DHS inspector general’s office concluded a series of undercover tests targeting checked baggage screening at airports across the country.

That review found “vulnerabilities” throughout the system, attributing them to human error and technological failures, according to a three-paragraph summary of the review released in September.

In addition, the review determined that despite spending $540 million for checked baggage screening equipment and another $11 million for training since a previous review in 2009, the TSA failed to make any noticeable improvements in that time.

So maybe a 5% success rate isn't completely useless, but seriously, 1 out of 20? And their budget is how many billions a year?

[Thanas]

I've long held the belief the TSA is nothing but the greatest job program for otherwise unemployable people in recent US history, which is about the kindest thing one can say about it.

[FTeik]

I have no experience with TSA, but I wonder, what impact (if any) it will have on this case:

http://www.dw.de/eu-refers-germany-to-e ... a-18481183

EU refers Germany to ECJ over airport security controls

The European Commission is taking Germany to court over security lapses at some of its airports. The case is not related to a separate investigation prompted by the crash of a Germanwings flight in March.

The EU referred Germany to court for failing to regularly monitor security measures at some airports. According to the European Commission, Germany has failed to act on repeated requests to comply with EU law on airport security and the case will now go to the European Court of Justice.

"Inspections by the Commission have shown that Germany does not comply with the minimum frequency and the scope of controls required under EU legislation," the body announced. "Such controls are necessary to quickly detect and correct potential failures in the implementation of security measures and to make sure that airports, airlines and other entities are in line with common EU standards." The referral "does by no means imply that German airports did not take adequate security measures" - just that that authorities have sometimes failed to carry out the prescribed security controls.

The Commission didn't specify airports. Last year, media reported that undercover investigators had managed to carry weapons or other dangerous items through passenger controls at airports including Frankfurt, Germany's busiest. Security staff have regularly gone on strike, citing poor working conditions.

The news comes just days after US fighter jets had scrambled to intercept an Air France flight after receiving a hoax bomb threat.

'Arms or explosives'

Airports which forego tests can't identify and correct potential threats, Commission spokesman Jakub Adamowicz said. The Commission warned the 28-nation EU's biggest economy about the problem at the end of 2014, and the country could face a fine if found in breach by the court.

"Security measures are in place to help prevent criminal acts and in particular are expected to protect airports and planes against terrorist attacks with arms or explosives," the Commission wrote in Thursday's statement.

In an unrelated incident, investigators have accused a co-pilot of crashing a Germanwings plane into the French Alps, killing himself and 149 others on board. Authorities have launched an investigation to evaluate German procedures regarding the medical monitoring of pilots after it emerged that Andreas Lubitz had experienced episodes of severe depression.

"Today's referral has nothing to do with the ongoing evaluation of responses we received from German authorities on medical certificates of pilots," Adamowicz told reporters on Thursday.

In a separate decision on Thursday, the Commission also referred Germany to court for failing to bring its laws on the recycling of electrical and electronic equipment in line with EU standards, proposing a daily fine of 210,078 euros ($228,865) until the country does so.

mkg/msh (Reuters, AFP, dpa)

[Thanas]

Nothing, airport security in general sucks.

[Zixinus]

This is not surprising. The primary purpose of making TSA bigger presence was to alleviate fears that came after 9/11. This is the result when you do something to archive political goals rather than doing something to fix what causes political problems.

[TheFeniX]

I honestly can't make any comment George Carlin didn't beat me to over a decade ago. The Illusion of Security is a good watch as well. TSA is too busy molesting toddlers and making women drink their breast-milk to do anything constructive.

[General Zod]

An enterprising terrorist could just stroll onto the concourse before all the checkpoints and shoot up all the people in the airport they wanted to.

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/georgia ... ht-happen/

[Borgholio]

An enterprising terrorist could just stroll onto the concourse before all the checkpoints and shoot up all the people in the airport they wanted to.

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/georgia ... ht-happen/

Which I'm not surprised by. Security should begin before you even enter the building...otherwise you could kill lots more people than even crashing a plane.

[Sir Sirius]

An enterprising terrorist could just stroll onto the concourse before all the checkpoints and shoot up all the people in the airport they wanted to.

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/georgia ... ht-happen/

Well, a white terrorist could, but I'd bet good money that if middle-eastern gentleman tried the same he would get his ass light-up in spiffy. Didn't the FBI issue a warning about domestic terrorism recently?

[General Zod]

An enterprising terrorist could just stroll onto the concourse before all the checkpoints and shoot up all the people in the airport they wanted to.

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/georgia ... ht-happen/

Well, a white terrorist could, but I'd bet good money that if middle-eastern gentleman tried the same he would get his ass light-up in spiffy. Didn't the FBI issue a warning about domestic terrorism recently?

You don't think ISIS has plenty of white looking terrorists?

[TheFeniX]

There was a "comedy" video I saw years back about how stupid security can be. I think it was some British guys. Anyways, they dressed some guy up as a stereotypical arab and had him take pictures of a bridge. He was hassled by police and basically run off. Then some overweight white guy dressed up as an American Tourist did the same thing: no one cared. Then they went to some nuclear test facility. "Mr. Arab" couldn't even get through the gate. "Mr. Tourist" got in, wandered off, got stopped by a guard, who then just pointed him in the direction of a restricted area.

It's a dog and pony show with all these fancy devices and official looking people standing around mean-mugging you. It's been years, so someone check me on this: The shoe bomber was defeated because after his matches wouldn't light his damp fuse, he got dog-piled. At the time, matches were illegal to bring on a plane. But tobacco lobbies pushed hard enough that lighters were not banned (because people need to light up after a long flight). So, if the guy had just brought an easier to use and less fallible lighter, shit could have gone much worse as even thought the fuse was damp, a lighter would have a better chance to light it.

[bilateralrope]

It gets worse.

TSA Missed 73 Workers on Terror Watchlist

At least 73 individuals employed in the airline industry should have been disqualified and flagged under terrorism-related activity codes by the TSA, a newly released report by Department of Homeland Security's inspector general shows. They were employed as airport vendors and by major airlines, in part because the TSA "is not authorized to receive all terrorism-related categories under current interagency watchlisting policy." The report says that the TSA delegated the vetting of potential hires to commercial airports, who relied on incomplete application data—such as only first initials, or missing Social Security numbers. "TSA lacked assurance that it properly vetted all credential applicants," the report concludes. At the same time, the report praised the TSA's use of existing information to re-vet aviation employees against existing watchlists, including the fact that the agency nominated 300 people to such lists.

But because the terrorists aren't trying to attack, people will keep saying that the TSA is working

[TheFeniX]

When pilots have their knives confiscated or are being waylaid by TSA agents for having them, you don't really need much else to show how stupid it is. We're keeping people safe by removing job-issued cutlery from the guy who, if he wanted, could just fly the plane into a mountain because he's the fucking pilot.

You could make the case that the other pilot could stop him or whatever, but the fact remains: if you can't trust the pilot to carry a knife due to "safety," you've got bigger problems than deadly steak knives... of which they hand out to passengers in first class.

[Zaune]

When pilots have their knives confiscated or are being waylaid by TSA agents for having them, you don't really need much else to show how stupid it is.

Actually, there's some evidence that letting airline employees skip the metal detector and baggage X-rays isn't a great idea.

[Grumman]

When pilots have their knives confiscated or are being waylaid by TSA agents for having them, you don't really need much else to show how stupid it is.

Actually, there's some evidence that letting airline employees skip the metal detector and baggage X-rays isn't a great idea.

I don't think you understand what the word "pilot" means.

[Adam Reynolds]

What about FedEx Flight 705. While he was the flight engineer, he was still inside the secured cockpit and were this a passenger airliner, he would have been able to do a great deal of damage.

[TheFeniX]

When pilots have their knives confiscated or are being waylaid by TSA agents for having them, you don't really need much else to show how stupid it is.

Actually, there's some evidence that letting airline employees skip the metal detector and baggage X-rays isn't a great idea.

What does anyone need with a .44 Magnum on a plane vs "hey Bob, I gotta piss, BRB."? Bob then locks the cockpit door and pushes down on the stick. Also, a shittcanned employee 30 years ago using unauthorized credentials to board a plane is a bit different than a licensed and employed pilot being denied a steak-knife. The same knife they give out to passengers during in-flight meals.

Honestly, my only problem with someone like a pilot carrying a firearm is that accidents can happen and it contains explosives. If I was worried in the least he might actually use the gun to cause passengers harm, it wouldn't matter anyway if he had the gun or not because he's more than in a position to get everyone killed with or without it.

What about FedEx Flight 705. While he was the flight engineer, he was still inside the secured cockpit and were this a passenger airliner, he would have been able to do a great deal of damage.

Do flight engineers not need hammers? I don't know. Checking them for spearguns seems prudent, just like I never said checking pilots for dangerous weapons was a bad idea. Merely that saying "You can't carry this dangerous weapon the company you work for gave you and/or we'll give you one when you eat dinner, when you could just fly the plane into a mountain" is dumb and shows how the TSA is all about the illusion of security and nothing else.

Here's an idea, maybe spend the money to make sure your employees aren't in the mind-set to kill themselves and take a whole lot of people with them.