Posted on 06/01/2015 7:43:32 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration was reassigned Monday after an internal investigation by the Department of Homeland Security found security failures at dozens of the nation's busiest airports. The breaches allowed undercover investigators to smuggle weapons, fake explosives and other contraband through numerous checkpoints.
Melvin Carraway, an 11-year veteran of the TSA who became acting administrator in January, was immediately reassigned to job coordinating DHS programs with local law enforcement agencies, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said Monday night. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Pete Neffenger's nomination to be permanent administrator is awaiting Senate confirmation.
Upon learning the initial findings of the Office of Inspector General's report, Johnson immediately directed TSA to implement a series of other actions, several of which are now in place, agency officials said.
Image: Acting TSA Administrator Melvin Carraway Acting TSA Administrator Melvin Carraway discusses an attack by a man with a machete at the New Orleans airport in March as other law enforcement officials look on.Reuters In one case, an alarm sounded, but even during a pat-down, the screening officer failed to detect a fake plastic explosive taped to an undercover agent's back. In all, so-called "Red Teams" of Homeland Security agents posing as passengers were able get weapons past TSA agents in 67 out of 70 tests — a 95 percent failure rate, according to agency officials.
"The numbers in these reports never look good out of context, but they are a critical element in the continual evolution of our aviation security," Homeland Security officials said in a statement.
This isn't the first time TSA officers have failed to detect fake terrorists and their weapons. "Red Teams" have been probing TSA checkpoints for 13 years, oftentimes successfully getting weapons past airport screeners.
However, this time, TSA agents failed to detect almost every single test bomb and gun, aviation experts said.
"It's disturbing news. The question is how we can best mitigate that vulnerability in a way that doesn't prohibit the free movement of people and goods," John Pistole, a former TSA administrator, told NBC News. "That's just something that there's no perfect answer for."
Meanwhile, terrorism experts stress that the threat levels remain high.
"There's a continuing drumbeat of interests by terrorist groups, whether al-Qaeda or al-Qaeda affiliates, to try to bring down a Western — especially a U.S.-bound — aircraft," Pistole said.
Failing Airport Breach Tests is no big deal. TSA isn’t about security. TSA is about control.
The threats are known and it’s not grandma from Kansas.
Wow.
Somebody actually got fired?
I’m stuned.
When you finally understand that TSA is just a Jobs Progran for some politician’s unemployable nephew/Brother-in-law/cousin, the rest just falls into place.
As I have always called it, TSA stands for “Tough Shit America”, we can’t protect you.
Jeh Johnson? Another affirmative action failure, who like a turd, has risen to the top of the DHS toilet.
This government is a big fat fricking joke. All these agencies, departments, and programs should be abolished or privatized.
Bingo! The head of an agency is not the problem, it’s the agency that is the problem. It cannot be repaired, nor will it ever be. The only solution is no agency at all.
Surprise, surprise!! The big government DHS/TSA program is a colossal failure. Total waste.
Surprise, surprise!! The big government DHS/TSA program is a colossal failure. Total waste.
Thousands Standing Around
Thousands Sexually Assaulted
Thousands of Stupid A-holes
what a fkn imbocil.
Real bright to announce the failures, and the specific methods.
No, he got reassigned.
Hopefully to WH security.
;-)
“Wow. Somebody actually got fired?”
Reassigned.
As soon as 9/11 happened I stated unequivocally that the only way to secure our airports was to hire postmen to stare goggle-eyed at X-ray images of items they couldn’t identify under normal lighting in the first place and to fondle 80 year old Lutheran grandmothers.
Am I a prophet or what?
Do away w TSA
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