AIR SECURITY: IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
The recent bombing attempt of a commercial aircraft over Detroit has re-opened the wounds of 9/11 and brought the issue of air safety and terror into the media forefront. And, as usual, the media, and particularly the government, are suckers for the shell game…looking everywhere for answers except where they lie…under their noses.
Now our esteemed leaders are picking up the pace by requiring more searching of bags, adding bigger scanning machines, and making sure all passengers on flights cannot go to the bathroom during the final hour of the flight. Feel better now?
Here’s some basic questions no one seems to ask, and certainly, no one in government and the media wants to answer.
1) Why no Air Marshals? El Al Airlines…which serves as a model for air safety and security around the world, boards an armed Air Marshal on every flight, of which the terrorists are astutely aware (and deterred). The U.S. has an armed Air Marshal on one out of every thirty flights, which the terrorists are astutely aware of (and not deterred). The added cost could be added to ticket prices. Most folks would be happy to pay knowing air travel would be totally secured.
2) Why no effective questioning? Our airport screeners/ticket agents ask one or two innocuous questions of passengers, i.e “Has your luggage been in your possession at all times?” That’s a winner all right. El Al Airlines has an interrogatory system which also includes eyeball to eyeball screening and special training to look for suspicious actions. Wouldn’t bother me. Would it bother you?
3) Why no profiling? El Al profiles and makes no apologies. They profile, not for race or nationality, but for signs of deceit. And whether they admit it or not, they pay much more attention to young, male Islamists. The truth remains: Ninety-nine percent of international terror is rooted from the extremist wing of Islam, not blonde haired, blue-eyed cheerleaders or little grammas and grampas from central Iowa.
There is nothing obvious that sets an extremist aside from a moderate. Therefore, airport security must profile young, Islamic males between 16 and 40 years of age. Spending time on granny and other obvious non-terrorists is a colossal waste of time and money.
El Al has shown the way. The big difference, is that they don’t care about political correctness, they care more about saving lives. They also have a wartime mind-set, which we have yet to adopt, especially at the government level. Which begs the next question.
4) Why haven’t Janet Napolitano and Michael Leiter been fired? We are talking about human life, and these people have proven themselves to be either incompetent or indifferent, or both.
Leiter is the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, which is the agency that is responsible for connecting dots in the terror network. The day after the news broke about the Northwest Airline bombing attempt, Mr. Leiter departed for his planned six-day ski vacation, terrorism be damned. Ho hum. That’s setting priorities. Doesn’t that just make us — the public – feel safe and confident in our government?
Napolitano – who coined “man-caused disaster” as a replacement term for acts of terror, is our Homeland Security Chief who doesn’t understand the gravity of this war, and prone to using dumb psychology to diffuse American concerns. She is unqualified for the job and certainly doesn’t take the terror war seriously enough. Her only qualifications was her butt-kissing support of Obama during the campaign. When the terror attack occurred, her first concern was to downplay, stating that the “system worked.” Puhlease. Does she really think Americans have IQ’s under 60?
What Americans need is toughness. If the president would recognize that we are fed up with incompetency when it comes to terrorism, and had shown decisive action by dismissing people who are not piqued to protecting us all, we might have been impressed. Rather, we got the usual blah blah. Lots of words, and little action.
One might also ask why Leon Panetta was given the job as CIA Director when he had no background or experience in that field.
5) In this era of Islamist terror threats, why do we have two “devout” Muslims working in top management positions with the Department of Homeland Security? Some folks are upset, saying the fox is guarding the hen house.
I would like to think that all Muslims are trustworthy folks, and that only a very few are radical. Yet, radicals have effectively lived and worked among us as “moderates” until they kill, and voila: They were radical after all. Radicals are not all scruffy young men from the ghetto. Often they are well-educated professionals, posing as moderates in order to infiltrate. With rare exception, they are all Muslims.
The recent suicide bombing in Afghanistan which killed seven CIA operatives, were fooled by a medical doctor posing as an informant, before he pulled the plug. Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood Terrorist, was a psychiatrist, Muzzammil Hassan is a respected businessman and “moderate” Muslim from New York City who beheaded his wife because she wanted a divorce, two of the London train bombers were medical doctors, Sami Al Arian, was a respected college professor who is now in prison for filtering terror funding for Islamic Jihad. The Nigerian aboard Flight 253 who recently tried to kill almost 300 people, was well educated and from a family of means. The beat goes on.
Employing these kinds of people inside the bowels of our Homeland Security Department is not very comforting, indeed.
Click here: Homeland Security Appoints Devout Muslims
6) Why is Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the foiled Nigerian terrorist on flight 253, being charged as a civilian criminal when, in fact, he was engaged in an act of war against the United States? Why is he not being charged and tried by a military tribunal? Treating him as a civilian criminal negates the ability to interrogate him thoroughly and glean vital intelligence information. It also provides legal avenues which could result in his release, at a cost to the American taxpayer. Which, naturally, begs the last question:
7) Why is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his cohorts, who conspired to attack the United States in an act of war on 9/11, being tried in a New York civilian court, rather than a military tribunal? This unnecessarily opens many avenues and benefits to them, and emboldens terrorists around the world who see America as a paper tiger. The result: greater incentives for future terror attacks. The Attorney General and the president are certainly aware of this, yet they have opted to pave the way to benefit these terrorists. Could that not be conceived as aiding and abetting the enemy?
Something to think about.
I agree with you Marshall. Napolitano’s head should roll, there should be air marshalls on every international flight, we should profile all young Muslim males as Israel does, and terrorists should be tried in military tribunals. This from a lifelong Democrat!
MARSHALL,
ALL THE QUESTIONS I WOULD ASK, YOU ARE ASKING THE SAME. I DON”T MIND TELLING YOU THAT I AM VERY SCARED FOR US ALL. AS EACH DAY PASSES MORE HAPPENS AND ALL I CAN THINK OF IS WHAT BAD NEWS TOMORROW WILL BRING. EVERONE BETTER GET READY TO MARCH ON WASHINGTON SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
GLORIA
M.F. & America: Let’s face it. Mr. Obama is aiding & abetting the enemy, either by
design, stupidity or gross incompetence.
About a week ago I became 1st a Member of,
then an Admin. Officer of a Facebook Group:
“AMERICA IN DISTRESS! PATRIOTS MUST UNITE!”
This group’s icon is an UPSIDE DOWN US FLAG.
Patriots MUST unite to SAVE our precious Constitution, liberties & freedoms. USA is in DISTRESS! Let’s UNITE as we FLIP THE FLAG! Sect.8 of the US Flag Code permits this in cases of Dire Distress-extreme danger to life or property! It’s Dire NOW!
If you & any of your readers agree that our
USA is in this Dire of Distress NOW, check
us out consider joining.
http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/group.php?gid=395366160017&ref=mf
Very well said Marshall.
The first thing I thought of when I learned of Abdulmutallab’ act on NW flight 253 was Napolitano needs to go, and as you pointed out she’s unqualified. Perhaps replacing her by a qualified no nonsense military retiree is the answer!
Political correctness will be our downfall. Profiling, profiling, profiling! What’s with Mirandizing terrorists, trial in civil courts? It appears Obama has no plans on doing more than chewing some ass!!! He just doesn’t get it. It’s WAR!
After 9/11 weren’t the various agencies directed to share all information? Seems like we need an agency that is tasked with gathering, compiling and disseminating all data pertinent to protecting this nation from jihadists and terrorists (are they the same?)
I know that no one wants to hear this because it sounds like “racial profiling” and”racial biast” on my part, however, after handling rental units on the south side of a major Florida city for five years I understand the mentality of President Obama and his constituents that have followed him and have now become his “right hand people”.
Isn’t loyalty a wonderful thing when you can pawn off all the responsibility while receiving a good check while continuing with your fun life, vacations, going out on the town and disregarding that which is really important?
I found this was a typical way of life back then………….
I totally agree with you!! All excellent questions and they beg the final question; WHY THE HELL CAN’T OUR PRESIDENT UNDERSTAND THIS? I mean, they say he was elected because he was so smart – I think he’s more concerned with old pal college professors who mouth off at good cops! Better he should have a sit down “beer” summit with the TSA and his CIA heads and tell them how to do this job (or at least make them take a trip on El Al Airlines! Thanks Marshall for keeping this subject on the front burner! I’d like to fly to Chicago to visit my daughter without – white knuckles”!
Hi Marshall I agree with most all of your points, but when we stop closely searching grandmothers in wheel chairs or any other persons, how long would it be for the terrorists to take advantage of this? If we asked a number of grandmothers if they were told by terrorists that they had her grandchild and would kill the child if she did not take something onto a plane she was boarding, how many would say that having been shown the child was indeed in their hands that they and every grandmother they knew would take some action to thwart the terrorist attempt?
George R. Pittell
Thanks Marshall.
The old “style vs. substance” comparison. Too many citizens swallow the “style” part from our government and the media without further thinking let alone questions.
I lived in a large midwestern city when they elected a young, untrained “boy mayor” to run the city. He and his inexperienced cohorts ran the city all right, right into the ground, and the city went into default. Now this man is in Congress, mucking things up even more. When we put people into office who can’t (or won’t) do the job they were hired for, we have the chaos in government we have now. I will not fly any more. If I can’t drive, I don’t get there. I can’t trust that I will get from A to B safely given the people who are supposed to protect us have a terminal case of PC. Rome is burning, all right. And Nero is still fiddling.
Well, Well, Well!
I agree with everyone… and I still think that ” a little anarchy never hurt anyone.”
Why are we continuing the failed policies that don’t protect us? Why not have the El AL security forces conduct classes for TSA supervisors and pass that down to the screeners until eventually we get a system that we can use? It never ceases to amaze me that the answers are right there but we fail to utilize the obvious.
The time, money and energy spent on health care reform, cap and trade, the energy department and other useless federal bureaocricies could be put to better use protecting the citizens of this ountry. This administration continues to put unproven people in cabinet positions because they supported Obama.
I’m afraid we are doomed to more failures because of the inept government in DC. No matter the hue and cry from the public they go on with their policies of destruction to the American way of life. I cannot believe that someone voted for this….
et audivi vocem domini dicentis quem mittam et quis ibit nobis et dixi ecce ego sum mitte me! The problem with that is….no will let me.
A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi! And 50% of our American population doesn’t know it. How did we get this way?
Marshall,
Please continue to report on concerns like this. Some of us in the Federal sector are trying to prevent terrorist acts but are being blocked by turf protecting organizations. There is technology to detect IED/explosives but not accepted by DHS or DOD
All the questions are asking are nothing but commom sense. Unfortunately that is something that is very rare in our govt. today. All they care about is political correctness.
Getting to the point where I dread going on a trip not that I am afraid to fly actually I enjoy that part of it …now it is the safety part, going to the airport thru the NON security check points being uneasy thru out the flight.this guy is flying with bombs in his crotch or in the shoes..lets stop being Mr Nice Guy and take control we owe these terrorists “0″.. and when we used to legally fly armed transporting prisoners they would make us leave weapons with the pilot sometimes handcuffed together in the cockpit so everybody would be safe from the Police…. I would rather drive!!!!
I think all this is a part of larger conspiracy to destroy us. The guilty parties are well hidden. Money rules.
Nick
Great article Marshall. I have a few things and perceptions as a thirty year flight attendant. No other country in the world has armed pilots and we do. They are pilots that have to give up their own time and go to a s[pecial school. They cannot carry their arms on foreign flights. I think that is a good thing. Just one more weapon on the plane. If you knew some of the pilots that are armed it would scare the bejesus out of you. The cockpit dooe is vitually impenatrable. On top of that right next to the door is ancrash ax, a big one. We havecertain procedures for when a pilot has to come out of the bathroom that are stictlyadhered to and we try to keep all traffic out of the cockpit area including the front lavatory. Most anyone who flys alot knows the air marshals sit in 2c and 3d. In simulations they mostly shoot the flight attendant because we have been inbred to save and protect the cockpit door and our only communication device for the cockpit is right in the line of fire. We have also as flight attendants lobbied Congress for enhanced training in defnsive measures etc. This has been fought by the airline companies as they would have to pay for the extra training. Remember the first to fall on 9/11 and your first line of defnse as a passenger is your flight attendant. So you have armed pilots, air marshals and flight crew and no one knows what the other procedures are. We have begged to have a training with all three groups but the answer is no because it is too territorial. My union also has fought for wirless communication devices with the cockpit to no avail. Bad situation. Also the first people that yelled about the liquid on the airplanes was the duty free people. The duty free people are not background checked and also not the brightest bulbs in the hall. So the terrorist that buys that fifth of Jack Daniels with the “extra puch” wins and blows up the plane. It is also a myth that bags are matched with passengers domestically. It is random, why? Because it would cost money and delays and extra personnel for the airlines to do that. Cong. Ed Markey of Mass. and Cong. Chris Shays (lost last election) were fighting to get a bill that would make it mandatory for bags to be matched to passengers domestically and to check all cargo at seaports. Again, too much money. Check your info about ELAL. They go thhrough such heavy screening and bag match that I do not believe they have marshals. I could be wrong.
There is buzz from Washington that they may have a 1 hour in and out policy. After 9/11 you could not get up out of your seat 30 minutes out of Washington DC or into Washington DC. That is a very long time and believe me will cause many more problems then it solves. Now that the airlines are making so much money to check your bags, if they ever make it so there are no carry on bags the airlines would have to step up to the plate. All
medicines and car keys etc, should be with you. This is a huge problem and not an easy one to find a solution for.
Well done Marshall. Sometimes these government decisions really scare me. How can we be so stupid? Especially when we have a country like Israel that has an excellent record of airline security and we still don’t follow their lead!!!
First, I’d like to apologize to all here (and all who subscribes to Marshall’s blog).I used some latin pharses earlier (scroll up to see them) and “H O N E S T L Y” thought I had added the translation. I told Marshall (when I apologized to him earlier ) that ……it must be a sign of too many birthdays & I just thought I had added them. At anyrate, here are the translations for the two phrases.
1. et audivi vocem domini dicentis quem mittam et quis ibit nobis et dixi ecce ego sum mitte me! The problem with that is = “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, who shall I send, and who will go for us?
Then said I, here am I, send me.” Isaiah 6:8
2. A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi! And 50% of our American population doesn’t know it = A precipice in front, wolves behind (between a rock and a hard place)
Both phrases are in response to “AIR SECURITY: IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.” I was saying……since TSA , hence Homeland Security, can’t seem to do the job….”Send me.” I’ll try and do it for them. Because we (America) are in between a rock and a hard place at present. SOMEONE needs to go to keep us safe.
I agree with Nick. We can all beat our heads against the wall and wail and cry about all of this, but nothing changes and nothing will. Go to either the Clinton or the BushI presidential libraries and look at the list of top donors on the wall- the Saudi princes are front and center (and they’re not even ashamed of it). Obama has Saudi connections, as well. Let’s face it: our politicians have been bought by the Arabs and oil interests due to our terminally flawed campaign system which requires huge sums of money to campaign and win. Then, when they win, the people who make the laws refuse to change them because now, they’re incumbents. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that this country is being run by corrupt, greedy, self-interested, intellectually-challenged, incompetent, callous people. It’s a hopeless cause. I’m just glad I didn’t have kids.
I certainly concur with your positions and recommendations. In addition to firing Napolitano and Leiter, others down below or in the middle should also get the axe.I may have missed some of the news coverage but as I recall the Nigerian suicide bomber on NW # 253 was the subject of a report of being “radicalized” by his own father: that the father notified the nearest U.S. Embassy with this info; and that embassy notified their State Dept Hq. After that the notification chain begins to get murky.Who actually broke the chain and sat on the info.
Napolitan and Leiter (empty suits) remind me of the appointment (by GW Bush) of that attorney to be the director of FEMA who had to deal with Huricane Katrina.
I have not before agreed with you, Marshall, as much as I do after reading this column! The idea of profiling I have always abhorred, but with the increase of successes of killings and bombings in this country, the time for profiling has become crucial. But as I read your message, I thought the same as George Pittell–if we let too many little old grandmas glide through, how long will it be till there are more than usual little old grandmas getting on planes? A year or ago we heard that US military uniforms (or good imitations) were for sale in marketplaces in Iraq (I think) At least one of the suicide bombers last year entered a market place in a US Army uniform!
I was glad to read the comments of the flight attendant, who informed us that there is at least some defensive training and it sounds like air marshalls are on every flight. I had heard about pilots being armed, but that was all. And the pilots and attendants all realize they are taking their lives in their hands with every flight, and that the government should do more–but it all comes down to money!
And Obama is taking the brunt of everything that goes wrong in this country now. And indeed he has made some naive choices in giving top management positions to unqualified people, or unwise personalities (hand the Sec. of Treasury’s job to someone accidentally forgot to pay his income tax for how long?) Or he seems to be favoring those who contributed greatly to him campaign. But has he been the first to do this? This has been an on-going problem in this country (and in other parts of the world, too) for years! From Presidents right on down the line of our elected officials in charge of our government, one of the first thoughts in voting for or against any bill that comes up, is “Am I going to offend one of my major supporters?”
We all know that is a major drawback in the passing of the Health bill. And another is the hold that Christian religion has on the running of this country, when our Constitution says “There shall be separation of church and state”.
Until the people who get elected start thinking of the needs of the American people, and not worry about “payback”, we will increasingly become like one of the sinkholes we have here in Florida!