Terror Trial Reveals Evolving Tactics

(CBS)  CBS News producer Robert Hendin wrote this story for CBSNews.com.

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Terrorists are actively studying U.S. aviation security to find ways to get around our systems -- Transportation Security boss Kip Hawley told CBS News.

Hawley says the ongoing trial of eight British men who plotted to blow up multiple U.S.-bound aircraft in August 2006 shows that U.S. aviation security must be agile and must evolve to stay ahead of terrorists.

The men are accused of planning to use liquid bombs assembled from components sneaked past security in sports drinks bottles. That plot led to the ban on water bottles and other containers of shampoo and toiletries in carry-on baggage.

"They are building attack plans to get around our systems," Hawley told reporters. "We must be able to stop attacks that are designed to get around what we have in place."

To guard against such attacks, the TSA is in the midst of a top-to-bottom retooling of its training regimen for all of its employees. In the new 12-hour training course, employees will learn about intelligence, bomb detection, terrorist tradecraft, including how to spot diversionary tactics, and how to stay focused on the mission at all times.

A lot of what the TSA is doing is based on monitoring passenger behavior. Specially trained TSA officers watch for "data points" to identify suspicious persons. Hawley says that behavior of a suspect with hostile intent is different from that of a stressed-out traveler. A recent example was the case of the man recently detained in Orlando heading for Jamaica.

"He was exhibiting a number of factors" that spurred a TSA officer to "take another look," says Hawley. In the man's luggage, police found components for an improvised explosive device. Hawley also said that looking for behavior is the best approach to protecting the US aviation system and not any sort of profiling. "You have to get out of your head what you are looking for and let it come to you," he said.

Many of the changes coming to an airport near you are designed to make the American traveler more comfortable so that terrorists will stand out even more. A pilot program starting next month in Baltimore changes the way the security checkpoint looks and feels. Using music, softer colors, even new TSA screener uniforms, the agency hopes to take some of the stress out of flying.

Hawley is the current Administrator & Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration.

By Robert Hendin

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by libsrweak

From your postings, it can easily be deduced that you are also a terrorist, you have advocated the deaths of innocents, only because of what you think they might do in some imagined future, so would it then be OK to subject you to the same treatment you advocate for innocent people, based only on their choice of religion?

[rowdytexan2]

These whack jobs will put out any kind of propaganda to keep Americans in fear!

Poo poo! It was never terrorists that bombed the WTC, it was mercenaries using extremist whackos...follow the money...find out who the real terrorist is! You''ll probably find the whack job terrorist sitting at the desk in the oval office!

[random_radar]

Trying to get explosives on planes using drink bottles and other carry on items is lame.

The easy way is to shove a couple of pounds of plastic explosives up your *** with a ceramic igniter and thin wires hanging out. You can walk right through the metal detector without any problem.

When you want to detonate the explosives, go into the lavatory, drop your drawers, and touch the wires to your cell phone battery and kaboom!

Fortunately, the terrorists are just as dumb as the TSA, so we are safe for now.

[mel46a]

without port or border patrol, South or North, since 9/11, the cells are here, the gov''t knows, the aviation protection is effective and rotten at the same time, attacks have been stopped...but...we keep hearing SO much about our safety on a thread...planes and all else. history repeats itself? this has been going on TOO long....and with that situation where our ports ALMOST got monitored by foreigners...and how many foreginers do you see working airports? AT DFW about 2 yrs ago, smuggling and drugs...and were caught and it could have been terrorists to bomb, which they are INSIDE the US, have been, and are waiting. Of which we are WISE to be "on top"...not this many years past 9/11.

[inventagod]

Just another hack propaganda piece from the Pentagoons...
TSA - the new Gestapo...

[raskal_2]

Man are these security types at The TSA stupid...This is primarily due to the fact that they have no imagination.
Every action or attack has a beginning, a middle and an end. There is no such thing as out of nowhere. ("When I was hit in the face it came out of nowhere This folks is a false statement)

If you wait for the attack, then you are at distinct disadvantage.you always try to pick up an attact in the early stages and deal with it then, before any harm is done, either to the paaenger or the terrorist. DO NO HARM
That is, of course ,if such an attack or any

[ricknuber]

libsrweak:

Still waging war against your straw-man "liberal", huh? What a dunce. I think most posters here have figured out you''re a one-note Rush Limbaugh clone.

Many real conservatives disagree with how this administration has dealt with security and justice over the last 7 years. You can''t even mount coherent defenses for Bush policies anymore...you just rant and call names.

You can''t tell us what a liberal is.
You aren''t a conservative.
You''re a Bush apologist.
There is a huge difference.

[godofredo29]

Note to Editor regarding LA Times story featured elsewhere on this website: you can''t "gun down" a man in a wheel chair. Who writes these headlines anyway?

[libsrweak]

"Terrorists are actively studying U.S. aviation security to find ways to get around our systems"

Maybe we should be doing the same. As the saying goes, the trick to a good offense is a good defense and vice-versa.


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Posted by lochlan at 12:37 PM : Apr 21, 2008
+ report abuse

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with liberals effectively working hard to protect the rights of these terrroist do you think you can even look at them in a wrong without the whole anti-american liberals up in arms?

[libsrweak]

Posted by MCVet at 02:18 PM : Apr 21, 2008
+ report abuse


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every fight is a lost fight for a liberal..