Accidentally Revealed Document Shows TSA Doesn't Think Terrorists Are Plotting To Attack Airplanes
from the but-the-body-scans-continue dept
Jonathan Corbett, a long-time vocal critic of TSA body scanners, has been engaged in a lawsuit against the government concerning the constitutionality of those scanners. In the course of the case, the TSA gave him classified documents, which he was ordered not to reveal. In using some of that information to make his case, he needed to file two copies of his brief: a public one with classified stuff redacted, and the full brief under seal, for the government and the courts to look at. Just one problem: someone over at Infowars noticed that apparently a clerk at the 11th Circuit appeals court forgot to file the document under seal, allowing them to find out what was under the redactions... Included in there is the following, apparently quoted from the TSA's own statements:“As of mid-2011, terrorist threat groups present in the Homeland are not known to be actively plotting against civil aviation targets or airports; instead, their focus is on fundraising, recruiting, and propagandizing.”Elsewhere, the TSA appears to admit that "due to hardened cockpit doors and the willingness of passengers to challenge hijackers," it's unlikely that there's much value in terrorists trying to hijack a plane these days (amusingly, that statement is a clear echo of Bruce Schneier's statement criticizing the TSA's security theater -- suggesting that the TSA flat out knows that airport security is nothing more than such theatrics).
Elsewhere, in the redacted portions, the TSA is quoted as admitting that "there have been no attempted domestic hijackings of any kind in the 12 years since 9/11."
As Corbett notes in his filing, the entire basis for the nude scanners is that they were somehow necessary to stop terrorists with explosives from getting on planes. Yet, as he makes clear, the TSA knows that there's been little threat of any such attack for quite some time. He also details how the machines are not very good at tracking down explosives, and pretty much everything that has been caught with these machines (such as guns) could be easily found via traditional metal detectors. Further, as noted above, other protections that have nothing to do with the nude scanners are the main reason (which the TSA admits) that terrorists have moved on from targeting airplanes.
Amazingly, it appears that the government forced Corbett to redact the revelation that the TSA's own threat assessments have shown "literally zero evidence that anyone is plotting to blow up an airline leaving from a domestic airport." Corbett argues that this shows why the searches are not reasonable under the 4th Amendment. Corbett also points out that about the only thing the machines seem useful at catching are illegal drugs -- but, as he notes, that's "irrelevant to aviation security." Sure, the government may like the fact that it catches illegal drugs with these machines, but the TSA can't argue it needs the machines for "terrorism" when it knows that's not true, and then tries to keep them just because it finds some narcotics...
While it still seems unlikely that Corbett's lawsuit will actually succeed, he's right that these revelations mean that, at the very least, Congress should be investigating why the TSA insisted that it needed these machines to find terrorists that it now admits aren't actually plotting to attack airplanes.
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Filed Under: body scanners, jonathan corbett, naked scanners, terrorism, tsa
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Why is it redacted
When it's red or orange it can be reported, but when its green, it must be secret??
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Obedience Training
The purpose of the intrusive TSA BS was always about promoting obedience training for the populace, never about public safety.
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Maybe Mr. clerk decided to do some "accidental" whistle-blowing *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*.
...
Or maybe it was actually an accident.
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If they're finding narcotics with the scanners...
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Re: Why is it redacted
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Re: Obedience Training
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This is clearly a waste of time. The court has apparently already come to the conclusion that the government is allowed a full look at his briefs.
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Who's got good eyes?
"It would be more reasonable to say...9/11... with box cutters on a flight of 200 passengers stood ... hijacking ... in 2013 they would be lucky to survive the beatings they would ... receive by a traveling public that has learned the lessons of 9/11. Further the armored cockpit doors as well as the federal ... pilots with ... make targeting an aircraft ...
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Re:
That already happens:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110621/02225414782/tsa-takes-security-theater-road-mobile -groping-teams-can-pop-up-anywhere.shtml
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I'll take the bus.
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Re: I'll take the bus.
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Re: Re: I'll take the bus.
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Terrorism (Thank you, jewish activists, you fucks. See what you started?) is the perfect excuse. Transparency can be avoided (we don't want them to know our methods and sources, accountability is out (same reason), and you get to have an ever-expanding little fiefdom.
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Re: I'll take the bus.
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Re:
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The Real Terrorists - horseless buggies
A little over three thousand died on 9/11
Anyone afraid of terrorists should be deathly afraid to cross the street with all these dangerous horseless buggies everywhere.
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Re: Why is it redacted
Linda: But it's a good thing. Why does it need to be confidential?
Ted: Because, uh, if only bad things were confidential, then every time they labeled something as "confidential," people would know it was bad.
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And "none KNOWN" does not mean "NONE at all".
There was probably "none known" before 9/11 too, your point is then is ?
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prior to 9/11 and AFTER 9/11 is was clear they are NOT platting against Civil aviation targets or airport, they are plotting against "TWIN TOWERS", "white house" and the Pentagon.
We already know they are not plotting against airports.
No, just the population of America, but not airports.
And "recruiting and training and money" to do what?
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Re:
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Re: The Real Terrorists - horseless buggies
Next they came for the Amish, and I did nothing, for I was not Amish.
Then they came for the lightning, and I laughed as I set up Tesla coils.
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Re:
"Ah, I knew the SADF (strategic alien defense force) was a good investment."
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Re: Obedience training
http://barlowscayman.blogspot.com/2010/11/1984-revisited.html
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Thanks for covering!
Thanks again for continuing to cover the unraveling of the TSA's security theatre.
An update for your readers not mentioned in the article: the day after the documents were published, the TSA sought to gag me from discussion of their contents -- despite the fact that they are now quite public documents. More details at my blog.
Thanks,
--Jon
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Re:
*rolleyes*
The big deal here, Anon, is that the TSA sold Congress on their need to put their hands in our pants with tales of airplanes blowing out of the sky in the immediate future should the TSA not receive the authority and budget they ask for. They have some explaining to do.
--Jon
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Re: Re:
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If given a choice...
Why the "hands in our pants"...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Airlines_Flight_253
Why we take our shoes off...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_shoe_bomb_plot
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” -- George Santayana
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Hero
You are an American hero! You have written and filed in court what I have been saying and thinking for years. All Americans must connect the dots: NSA spying, chemtrails (not contrails), Smart Meters, Monsanto, Obamacare, Homeland Security military "police vehicles," martial law training, UN vehicles and foreigners training in the United States, FEMA camps, journalists threatened/killed, NDAA 2012(National Defense Authorization Act)signed by Obama putting Americans in prison without trial, and more... ALL in preparation for controlling/destroying the American public and preparation for the civil war to come. God Bless America in the years to come... We are at war to survive and most don't even see it. Research Hitler and the same strategy is at play in the "Land Of The Free & Home Of The Brave"...Or "Blind" for now, until it's too late.
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Airport Security
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TSA Not Stupid
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How legit is the document?
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Stupid Man
/ˈterərist/
noun
noun: terrorist; plural noun: terrorists
The meaning of Ter.or.ist
a person who uses terrorism in the pursuit of political aims.
Authorities arrested 23-year-old Paul Ciancia in the attack, which also wounded five others, including two other TSA officers.
The letter stated that Ciancia wanted to "instill fear in the traitorous minds" of TSA agents.
In addition to the weapon, agents found anti-government material critical of the federal government and the TSA in his gun bag. The material included literature outlining an alleged conspiracy to create a single global government.
?????????? Jonathan Corbett ?????????????????????
TSA is not trained to search for drugs if drugs are present law enforcement is contacted and law enforcement takes over.!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: How legit is the document?
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Re: Stupid Man
Given the information from your unquoted-quote (source not stated), specifically the mention of a "gun bag", I'd have to assume that the "Authorities" weren't TSA agents and the means used to identify and capture the assailant weren't the means or methods used by the TSA.
Retain the rights, freedoms and liberties your forefathers fought and died for!
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