Posted on 11/18/2010 6:40:10 AM PST by FredJake
At a hearing Wednesday on Capitol Hill, TSA chief John Pistole defended the airport screening procedures and said they were necessary in, "the face of a persistent and evolving terrorist threat," according to a report by Joshua Norman of CBS News, but acknowledged the pat-downs were invasive.
After submitting to a pat-down himself, he said they were, "more invasive than what I was used to."
In an article at the Boston Herald, Michael Graham decribes the ordeal experienced by a mother travelling from Dayton, Ohio to Texas:
The TSA agent felt along my waistline, moved behind me, then proceeded to feel both of my buttocks. She reached from behind in the middle of my buttocks towards my vagina area . . . She then moved in front of me and touched the top and underneath portions of both of my breasts.
This was probably more invasive than she was used to as well.
Nevertheless, Pistole defended the searches due to "non-metallic" explosives used by some terrorists.
Several senators, including Claire McCaskill (D-Mo), joined Pistole in defending the procedures that has caused a nationwide outcry.
"I'm wildly excited that I can walk through a machine instead of getting my dose of love pats," she said.
Pistole explained the procedures came about partly as a result of a foiled terrorist bombing last Christmas. CBS quoted Pistole:
"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."
But others said the procedure went too far.
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
It may be necessary, but it’s still illegal.
It is not necessary. Irrational fear is the rule here.
The FBI still can’t crack the case of how ACORN stole election after election. Being a “former agent” is hardly a recommendation.
I was an engineer on nuclear submarines in the 1970’s way back in the time machine, we have “sniffers” - equipment we could walk through the boat and pin-point a gas leak or amount of almost any kind of chemical.
I know that technology exists today - explosives, are all made of known chemicals so why is there even a need for any visual inspection/photo’s etc when these sniffers can just sniff a passenger to detect an explosive?
Did any of these Senate cretins ask him if every piece of baggage and cargo is checked for plastic explosives before being put into the cargo hold? There is no point in checking passengers by stripping them naked when they are sitting on top of bombs in the hold.
T ouch
S ensitve
A reas
Flying was once a fun experience.
Glad I’m no longer required to put up with this crap.
Sean Hannity says the same thngm “We just need to suck it up.” And Dana Perino agrees with him.
Still waiting to learn who sent the anthrax letters..........
Whatever happened to the ‘sniffer machines’ in airports? Are they now obsolete???? When I went through Philly airport, they had one.
Necessary?
El-Al seems to do just fine without it.
I generally like Sean Hannity but he does not always exercise good judgement. The first afternoon this hit the fan he was on his radio show saying he did not have a problem with the pat downs. I guess he got so much negative feedback that by the evening TV show he was now again’st it and wanting the Israeli style security.
I don’t know when he is going to shut up about Bobby Jindal for President. A man who is not a natural born citizen.
Hannity said that??? Say it ain't so, Joe!
Considering that they won’t touch (pun intended) any of the effective alternatives, It looks like the government really wants people to walk into the showers.
People might want to ask why these full body scans are so important to the government and why the government is lying about them being stored.
It seems the Israelis can govern intelligently. Our leaders are PC drooling idiots.
This is just another ploy for us to become a policed state!
Saw a pilot on Fox last nite who has not worked since Oct. 15th since he refused to do either procedure. His atty said this is just the beginning of having these scanners on street corners, in stores & controlling the people in a policed state.
A nuclear plant needs to be kept as safe as an airport & they do not have to use these, they know how to protect & have been doing it for years before the airports!
/lampoon
I agree, that is their plan.
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