Senators and TSA Defend "Love Pats" at Airports

Sony

Transportation Safety Administration chief John Pistole and several senators from both parties defended the new, enhanced airport security screening procedures as necessary in the face of a persistent and evolving terrorist threat in a hearing Wednesday on Capitol Hill.

Pistole, calm and confident in the face of an increasing public outcry against the procedures, talked extensively about the repercussions of last year's attempted Christmas Day bombing being the impetus for the enhanced screenings before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, TSA's oversight committee.

"We know the terrorists' intent is still there," Pistole testified. "We are using technology and protocols to stay ahead of the threat and keep you safe. (Several near-misses by terrorists on airplane bombings) got through security because we were not being thorough enough in our pat-downs."

Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri said prior to Pistole's testimony that she believed TSA was in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation, because people would be hopping mad at TSA if Christmas bomber Umar Farouk Adbulmutallab had succeeded. She went on to say the new advanced imaging technology--which has caused uproar because of its leave-no-secrets imaging and potential health risks--is more of a blessing than a curse.

"I'm wildly excited that I can walk through a machine instead of getting my dose of love pats," Sen. McCaskill said.

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Both senators and Pistole acknowledged the public concern that has made mini-celebrities out of some passengers who have opposed the new imaging scans and enhanced pat-downs. Pistole, a former FBI agent, went so far as to say he submitted himself to the pat-downs and found them to be "more invasive than what I was used to."

Senator George LeMieux of Florida agreed they were invasive, saying they had gone too far and that he "wouldn't want (his) wife to go through these pat-downs." He even suggested looking more at the Israeli model of behavioral profiling in airport screenings, which has been largely successful but also criticized as racist.

However, Pistole defended the pat-downs because of the next generation of "non-metallic" explosives currently being used by terrorists.

In an effort to address privacy and health concerns from travelers, Pistole said TSA is working on developing next-generation imaging equipment that will only show screening agents "anomalies" on top of stick figures, rather than detailed naked figures.

Currently, all passengers going through airport security are asked to submit to a full body image scan when it is available, Pistole said. The body scan images are seen by a single agent in a closed room who cannot see the face of the person in the machine and who cannot bring any cellphones or cameras into the image viewing room. If passengers refuse the body scan, they are offered a private pat-down, which is based on a thorough--some say invasive--technique used by police nationwide. Pistole emphasized that children under the age of 12 are excused from the enhanced pat-downs.

"We are on the last line of defense of the U.S. government," Pistole said. "I hope (these screening techniques) are a deterrence."

[listen_learn]

TSA administrator John Pistole told Harry Smith this morning:
No images are saved....this is a lie,they were uploaded to the Internet. Sure wished Harry Smith had of ask him about it.
Another TSA screener has been caught masturbating to the images also.

[MCLamb120157]

Refusal to submit to scan, search wins Cincinnatian notoriety

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101123/BIZ01/11240334/Flyer-refuses-scan-gains-celebrity

[concernedcitizen101]

Does anybody care about those of us who have been abused both by touch and peeping?

[MCLamb120157]

Certainly not the TSA that has obviously been recruiting sick people more than willing to further abuse you with touching and peeping under the convuluted premise this preserves our freedoms and the illegitimate excuse that they are merely following orders.

[listen_learn]

Carol Gottbaum didn't matter because she wasn't related to any of the Senators. A few people have brought up 9/11 as being the cause of the TSA having us strip, felt up, humiliated,toddlers being pulled way from parents, cancer potential x rays, as the cause BUT it was Washington that turned away a french man with all the proof of the possible attacks. Missing was the silver platter!!!!!! This was on Bush's watch, now we need for Obama, Senators, ETC to picture the women and children in their lives, being stripped,felt up, scanned,children pulled from their arms, underwear dropped on the floor while a couple of people took at their bodies...... Won't happen, private jets, planes, easly for them to say we should shut up and get felt up and scanned. So far, the TSA will not let the scanners be checked for how much radiation we will accumulate over the next few years.......

[Calgon_take_me_away]

Here is a simple question: How is the TSA going to stop a terrorist from detonating an explosive while in the middle of a tightly coiled line of people waiting to get through security? Answer: They can't. A terrorist who is determined to cause harm will find a way. So they cannot get a bomb on a plane instead they detonate in the airport which would probably have more of an effect on people than a plane being blown out of the sky or crashing into something. At least our elected officials are safe; they get to by-pass secuirty and avoid a terrorist blowing themselves up in a security line. And the terrorists, by blowing themselves up in the airport killing hundreds of civilians, would never get the opportunity to take over a plane and crash into a government building. I feel better.

[atomant59]

Now you patriots are whining because someone placed a hand in your crotch or under your boob, where were you when you're fellow Americans with Middle Eastern heritage where being strip searched or having their body cavities inspected? Where were you when their phone calls were being monitored without any judicial oversight? Where were you when they were being held and not charged with any specific crime? Come on and tell me you flag waiving, constitution thumping hypocrites, Where were you?????
You are the same as the A?Holes that stood by in the 40s when Japanese Americans were placed in containment camps during WWII.

America, you have become gutless! You want assured security without any inconvenience. You want a balanced budget without tax increases and without cuts to any of your special projects or the overly inflated defense budget that fills the pockets of political contributors.

America, you have become full of even more sickening right-wing hypocrites!!!!

[MCLamb120157]

atomant59 sets up straw man arguments to race bait anyone who honors the Constitution while dismissing inhumane treatment and sexual humilitation as mere inconveniences that we are wimpy if we don't embrace. The truth is that beyond CBSNews.com, there is widespread opposition to the TSA measures from the left and the right. (Check out BuzzFlash.com Mr. Progressive.) The challenge for atomant59 is how to pretend to be liberal while defending the abusive fascistic policies of his pseudo-liberal leaders that are exempted from the mistreatment they tell us we must endure. And atomant59 is so brainwashed by their lies he's defending his own mistreatment.

[greco99-2009]

TSA officers killed Carol Gottbaum and looks like no serious investigation...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26345949/ns/travel-news


"Carol Anne Gotbaum accidentally asphyxiated herself after being chained to a bench in a police holding room after her Sept. 28 arrest, according to authorities."

The only witnesses were TSA ?

And these guys are still on the job ???

[greco99-2009]

What about the potential for an attack that originates from within the 'security industry'?

Remember the Anthrax that was used to attack and terrorize Americans was sent by an American Bioweapons expert who was taxpayer funded and worked at a US defense installation. This misguided individual was trying to make a point about the importance of his security work by creating an actual attack. There have been other similar cases as well, for example, a disturbed police officer planted a pipe bomb in Times Square in a case that received little publicity.

Some people in the security industry have both the means to cause great harm (security clearances, access to sophisticated weapons, contacts with unsavory elements) and they have a variety of motives to cause such harm (financial gain, making a political point, gaining influence, power and status).

Most notably -- there is the potential for enormous financial gain for some people in the security industry if there is another attack...

[MCLamb120157]

Bingo! The history of false flag operations to lead Americans into war is as old as the sinking of Maine. The underwear bomber that begat these abusive TSA procedures and radiation strip searches was a drugged up zombie reported by his own father to be a terror threat, but yet walked around Schiphol's scanners and onto the international flight without a passport and as a result of the direct collaboration of our State Department in response to an intelligence community request. When will the sheeple realize how blatently they are being manipulated?

[greco99-2009]

The real story here is the massive corruption that exists within the 'security industry'.

Specifically, there is the reported story that Michael Chertoff -- former Homeland Security Czar -- earned 350 million from 'setting up' the body scanner deal.

Smells like a scam and a serious corruption investigation may be in order.

[titus96720]

Nothing would humiliate those thick skinned ba$tards.