TSA keeps confiscating things like Bics, Q-tips, eyebrow pencils and Barbie accessories, but seem to miss the dangerous stuff:

Airline screeners fail government bomb tests
21 airports nationwide don’t detect bomb-making materials
By Lisa Myers, Rich Gardella & the NBC Investigative Unit
NBC News
Updated: 1:53 p.m. ET March 17, 2006

WASHINGTON - Imagine an explosion strong enough to blow a car's trunk apart, caused by a bomb inside a passenger plane. Government sources tell NBC News that federal investigators recently were able to carry materials needed to make a similar homemade bomb through security screening at 21 airports. In all 21 airports tested, no machine, no swab, no screener anywhere stopped the bomb materials from getting through. Even when investigators deliberately triggered extra screening of bags, no one discovered the materials.

NBC News briefed former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, chairman of the 9/11 commission, on the results.

"I'm appalled," he said. "I'm dismayed and, yes, to a degree, it does surprise me. Because I thought the Department of Homeland Security was making some progress on this, and evidently they're not."

Investigators for the Government Accountability Office conducted the tests between October and January, at the request of Congress. The goal was to determine how vulnerable U.S. airlines are to a suicide bomber using cheap, readily available materials.

Investigators found recipes for homemade bombs from easily available public sources and bought the necessary chemicals and other materials over the counter. For security reasons, NBC News will not reveal any of the ingredients or the airports tested. The report itself is classified. But Lee Hamilton, the vice chairman of the 9/11 commission, says the fact that so many airports failed this test is a hugely important story that the American traveler is entitled to know.
NBC News asked a bomb technician to gather the same materials and assemble an explosive device to determine its power. The materials for the bomb that exploded a car's trunk fit in the palm of one hand. NBC News showed the results to Leo West, a former FBI bomb expert.

"Potentially, an explosion of that type could lead to the destruction of the aircraft," said West.

The Transportation Security Administration would not comment on the tests Thursday, but issued a statement to NBC News, saying "detecting explosive materials and IEDs at the checkpoint is TSA's top priority." The agency also said screeners are now receiving added training to help identify these materials.

That’s not soon enough for Tom Kean. "They need to do it yesterday," Kean said, "because we haven’t got time."
Given hardened cockpit doors and other improvements, experts say explosives now are the gravest threat posed by terrorists in the sky.

No, their top priority seems to be taking SAK Classics off of keyrings, not finding bomb making supplies. <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Typical .gov answer to a problem...do "something" even though stupid.

I'm sure the stats for all types of foot fungus and athelete's foot have increased due to all the barefoot passengers standing in those tsa lines though [especially in summertime].
Pull the TSA out of all the airports, it is a gargantuan waste of time and money [our money!] Stop the insanity now! We are no safer than we were 5 years ago, but we are a lot poorer. [end of rant]

TSA failed to find a SAK in my jacket pocket on a recent trip. I grabbed my softshell and stuffed it into my carry-on (Camelbak BFM) before a recent trip. When I pulled out my jacket in Houston I felt something heavy in a pocket... sure enough, one of my SAKs! It flew home in my checked bagage!

Now, this isn't as big of a deal as explosives/hazardous materials; I highly doubt if a few people with box cutters will ever succeed in hijacking an airliner again. Technology is only as good as the operator utilizing it. Reliable, alert, intelegent poeple are who will prevent another attack...

I'm curious to know if any screeners lost their jobs over this debacle! <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> Or will this be just a hand slap and "c'mon guys, we can do better/let's learn from our mistakes" kinda thing.

"Welcome aboard Delta Airlines. Please follow as the flight attendants explain the safety features of this aircraft. ....
In the event of an attempted hijacking, or disturbance on the aircraft, the 9mm semi-automatic handgun beneath your seat may be used as a weapon. The handguns have their safety on, and their slides locked open by a red tamper evident emergency pull tab. Use of the weapon at any other time may result in serious injury, death and 2nd felony criminal charges being filed against you.
To use the weapon, pull hard on the red tamper evident pull tab. This will cause the slide to go forward, racking a round. The weapon is now armed. To fire the weapon, point the handgun at the target, and slowly squeeze the trigger. This is a semi-automatic handgun, and will automatically feed the next round. Once all your rounds have been used, the slide will remain open. Please note the magazine is welded shut, and you are limited to 8 rounds. The handgun is not recommended for children under the age of 16. Always ensure your weapon is ready, before assisting others."

<img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

If the screeners have not been trained to look for these still unidentified materials, then I hardly see how firing them is going to solve anything. I mean, what kind of materials are we talking about? Shaving cream? Pencil lead? Mr. Clean with ammonia? Are these items commonplace? Without knowing what they are it is hard to fault the individual screener for not stopping them. Maybe some higher-ups are the ones whose heads should roll.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!

I like this idea. Although, I might got with a 4-barreled pepperbox, it would be cheaper in terms of maintenance.

<img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Just a bit of humor. It could never happen though, too many people aren't either responsible enough, or have "chemical imbalances".

I really think there needs to be an increase in the ability for full-time high skilled individuals to volunteer for emergency services and/or homeland security positions. This doesn't mean you take just anyone off the street, there has to be screening. That could provide alot of police/fire/ems in an emergency in a coordinated manner.

I was going to post some numbers, but it's too late! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I like the idea someone had to issue every airline passenger a one-shot pistol and then collect them at the end of the flight, like they used to do with headphones.


JimJr