9/11 Panel Gives White House Mixed Review (Dubya hasn't stopped al-Qaida attempts to get WMD)

Yahoo News ^ | 11/14/05 | BARRY SCHWEID

[NJ_gent]

"I think that it is an unreal expectation to believe that we could ever find these perfect people that would be alert and follow procedure 100% of the time, though."

I agree that there always be the element of human mistakes, but certainly there must be ways we can reduce the impact of those mistakes. Another major problem I have is the fact that I've never once been asked to power on my laptop. Lord knows what I could assemble within the space of my laptop, and a bunch of printed circuit boards inside a laptop chasis looks perfectly normal through a machine. It wouldn't be bad if it were just some healthy paranoia, but when I board an airplane, I can't help but think that I can't rely on airport security in the slightest to ensure there's no one armed and dangerous on this aircraft.

[Elyse]

Another major problem I have is the fact that I've never once been asked to power on my laptop. Lord knows what I could assemble within the space of my laptop, and a bunch of printed circuit boards inside a laptop chasis looks perfectly normal through a machine

I've had that concern, too. Add in all the DVD players, MP-3 players and cell phones, to that, too. Hey, even children's toys make me nervous. This is why I say, it's impossible. I think the only feasible thing they could do to avoid the possiblity that one of these could be rigged is to totally BAN them from the flights. Yeah, that would go over like a lead balloon. Sooooo, do you want to come 2 hours earlier or so for your flight and stand in line while they test out every electronic gizmo in everyone's luggage and carry on bags?

I'm not trying to be a smart ass and I don't think you are being paranoid. I just really don't see how it can be feasible to protect ourselves as well as we want to be protected and I'm not going to throw sticks and stones at the airline industry. I think they are in an impossible position.

[okie01]

For starters, try hiring competent people; not 80 year old women who couldn't read the name on my ticket and didn't bother even glancing at my ID...

The TSA:
Making jobs for easily bored people since 9/11/01.

[NJ_gent]

"Sooooo, do you want to come 2 hours earlier or so for your flight and stand in line while they test out every electronic gizmo in everyone's luggage and carry on bags?"

I don't see why this would be an issue. Let the laptop/MP3 player/DVD player, etc go through the machine like it normally would, then ask the person to power it on. So long as you get music playing or a display of some sort on the screen, you can be reasonably sure that it's what it appears to be. Lord knows you could probably design some nasty stuff to fit inside of a laptop that looks good when it goes through the machine, but could you do that and have the laptop/DVD player/etc still function? I work on laptops for a living, and I can't begin to think of how to manage that. I'm not saying you have to wait for it to boot all the way up or watch the entirity of Sleepless in Seattle; just make sure it's a functional device and not a plastic shell with bomb parts inside.

[Elyse]

I don't see why this would be an issue

It doesn't take long for one person to fire up their laptop, turn on their DVD or MP-3 player, etc., but multiply that short time by the hundreds of people in line and it's gonna bog things down considerably, especially on long distance/overseas flights where practically everyone in line has several electronic gadgets and gizmos.

I already get ticked off to no end by the morons that wait until they get right up to the conveyor belt to lean down and take off their shoes and get their change out of their pockets. I can just imagine what it will be like when you expect even more out of them. "I didn't know I had to take my DVD player out of it's case. I have to turn it on for you, too?!? I can't find where I put my DVDs. Now...where is that on/off switch."

[Senator Goldwater]

""Preventing terrorists from gaining access to weapons of mass destruction must be elevated above all other problems of national security," the former commission members said. "It represents the greatest threat to the American people" and President Bush should publicly make this goal his top priority, the review said."

Did I read this right?

Gorelick and Ben-Viniste want us to "prevent terrorists from gaining access to WMD's", and that this "should be Bush's top priority?

Why in the hell do they think we are in Iraq?

Morons.