TSA Planning New, Even More Invasive Security Measures In Response To 'Threat' Of Implanted Bombs

from the security-theater-is-reactionary dept

One of the main problems of the TSA's brand of security theater is that it's totally reactionary. Nearly every bit of it is designed to stop the last threat, rather than face the larger issues of identifying threats in general. A group supposedly planned to use liquid explosives? You can't bring liquids through security any more! Some jackass tried to light a shoebomb on fire? Everyone remove your shoes! This has resulted in people guessing just how far this will go. Years back, this even led Bruce Schneier to run his movie threat contest, in which the goal was to come up with all sorts of movie-plot style threats, which would then render the TSA helpless.

And, now, for all the talk of the ridiculous new naked scanners and gropings, people have realized that won't do any good if someone has a bomb implanted within them. So... guess what? The TSA is now claiming that they have reports that terrorists are planning to implant bombs inside people to blow up on flights... and that the existing scanners won't spot them. So they may start implementing brand new security procedures which they won't tell anyone about just yet.

Somehow, none of this makes me feel any safer... and my bigger concern here remains the TSA over terrorists. Nothing in what's being done suggests that the TSA is even close to focusing on who is getting on flights, and instead continues to focus on what is being brought on flights, which is a pretty pointless endeavor when you realize that there are always ways to get the next thing on board.

I certainly agree that it would be incredibly tragic if someone had an implanted bomb and it blew up a plane. And, contrary to the claims of some, I'm not advocating that we do away with security altogether. I'd just like to see security that actually focuses on trying to stop a real attacker, not on finding the lady with 4 ounces of liquid in her purse.

Filed Under: implanted bombs, scanning, search, tsa