Posted on 10/21/2003 7:58:56 AM PDT by bedolido
WASHINGTON - Box cutters and other dangerous items remained on a pair of Southwest Airlines jets for five weeks even though the college student who smuggled them aboard sent federal authorities a signed e-mail detailing what he had done, according to court papers unsealed on Monday.
The incident raises troubling new questions about airport security after the government has spent billions of dollars trying to strengthen procedures after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
During a visit to Duke University on Monday, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge called the latest incident "a bad experience."
"But we may learn something about it that we can apply across the country," Ridge said.
On Monday, Nathaniel Heatwole, 20, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon aboard an aircraft, which could bring him up to 10 years in prison.
The junior at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., was released without bail but ordered to stay away from airports and off planes.
In an e-mail to the Transportation Security Administration, Heatwole said he snuck the items onboard the Southwest flights as "an act of civil disobedience" to bring attention to gaps in airline security, according to an FBI affidavit.
Heatwole told federal agents that he went through normal security procedures at Baltimore-Washington International Airport on Sept. 14 and at Raleigh-Durham on Sept. 12 - the day after the two-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
In his e-mail to the TSA, he said he carried box cutters, modeling clay intended to resemble plastic explosives, matches and liquid bleach hidden in sunscreen bottles in a carry-on bag or concealed in his clothes. After sneaking the banned items on the planes he hid them in the planes' lavatories.
On Sept. 11, 2001, the 19 hijackers used box cutters to gain control of the jetliners they crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. At the time it was legal to bring them aboard.
The e-mail was signed "Nat Heatwole" and listed a telephone number. The items were discovered in plastic bags in the bathrooms of the two airliners and contained notes about when and where the items were carried aboard. They were signed "3891925," which is the reverse of Heatwole's birthday: 5/29/1983.
Heatwole's e-mail claimed credit for six airline security breaches between Feb. 7 and Sept. 14. It was unclear if he put banned items on the four other flights he listed.
While the TSA received the e-mail on Sept. 15, it was not sent to the FBI until last Friday, after a Southwest Airlines maintenance worker discovered the items in one plane's bathroom when it landed in New Orleans. A similar discovery was made on the second plane, then in Houston.
Ridge said Monday that the e-mail was not forwarded immediately because it was not considered an imminent threat. He said the TSA receives a large number of e-mails containing information about potential threats. But he said protocols need to be reviewed.
"That the system is so vulnerable that a 20-year-old college student can penetrate it so easily … it says a lot about where we are today with airport security," said Billie Vincent, a former security chief with the Federal Aviation Administration.
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers promised investigative hearings into systemic flaws, among them lax training for the new army of federal airport screeners.
But some critics blame Congress for some aviation-security problems. Lawmakers recently killed a plan that would have required air cargo to be screened much in the same manner that passengers are.
They better be getting their Shinola together quick!
Yes, but weren't we assured by D'Ashole and company that all airport security needed was to fire all the private security personnel and install higher-paid gubmint workers (and democRAT voters) instead?
Sheeeeesh!! Don't tell me we've been lied to!! (/sarc.)
Taking the last point first, he's a college student and likely hasn't two nickels to rub together -- a civil action against him by Southwest (or any other party) would net at best a tiny amount of cash and TONS of bad publicity. Southwest, at least, won't touch this with a barge pole.
Second, mens rea may or may not be an element in the assorted offenses with which this person is charged (I have not read the relevant statutes, and thus have no comment on or opinion about this point), but any marginally competent defense attorney will have no trouble at all with this prosecution...assuming ONLY that the gov't doesn't phony up some ''national security'' nonsense and conduct a closed-door trial. Indeed, it might be rather fun to show to a jury, in detail, the staggering degree of incompetence evinced by TSA and DoHS, both in this specific incident and overall. The trial judge might have to end up ordering the jury to stop laughing.
Next, while I happen to believe that this kid is an idiot, he has in fact performed a valuable service to the public at large; one can never point out often enough that the emperor has no clothes. The public need to be reminded constantly of the ineptness and general boobery of the cretins in gov't.
As to ''damages'' for delays and such, that's a non-starter -- were this a sustainable cause of action, the airlines themselves would have been sued into bankruptcy years ago. The courts have absolutely given a free pass against this sort of timeliness of service complaint, and have done for decades.
FReegards!
LOL. He didn't hurt my confidence- I never had any. Confidence in airline security is exactly that- a confidence game.
First problem: This guy took it upon him self to try and expose a gap that everyone knew existed.
Yes he did. One would have to ask, after all the billions spent on airline security, why does this gap still exist?
Second problem: In the process, he hurt passenger confidence in security and in Southwest, and caused delays while all the planes were searched.
You can't hurt someones confidence in security when it is already on very shaky ground. I no longer fly because I don't trust airport security and the only security that I trust, must be left at home in a locked box.
Third problem: He should go to jail and then Southwest should sue him.
If Southwest Airlines was smart, they would hire this kid as a consultant in airport security. He could help them point out the problems at Southwest and maybe divert a catastrophe.
I certainly will amen that, Prodigal Son. I have zero confidence in the airlines and wouldn't walk into a commercial airliner under any conditions. They can take those planes and the Government's airport "security" and ram 'em.
Unfortunately, some people never learn and the airlines and airports will stay in business. I feel sorry, though, for folks who, as a condition of their employment, have to fly. Knowing what they know, it must be unpleasant.
box cutters are not weapons unless their is intent to use them as such. It is not their primary function. Of course the TSA things finger nail clippers are weapons too.
Arm the pilots and stop harrassing the passengers.By "arm the pilots" I don't mean require them to attend a week long class, costing over $1000, at their own expense, held in the middle of nowhere, which they also have to pay to get there. At most, something like the average state's CHL/CCW classes, around a one day class, taught at or very near a major airport. For those pilots with state issues CHL/CCW licenses, a very short "distance learning" course to cover the unique aspects of their situation, should be an option as well. Personally I think no class at all should be required, but that's just me and the second amendment.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.