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Aviation and airport security

Creating a Culture of Public-Private Aviation Cooperation

It is no great revelation that the aviation industry and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), specifically the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), endure a turbulent relationship. But recent events celebrating two titans of the aviation industry without DHS and TSA leaders present epitomizes the relationship between the two. Last Friday, the aviation industry celebrated the annual Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet. DHS and TSA were noticeably absent.

Do we really love Rihanna more than air security?

Rep. Peter King, the ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and other Republican members have sent a letter to Secretary Napolitano expressing concern about the “repeated reposting” of the unredacted TSA security manual on multiple Web sites and asking her to say whether the sites can be compelled to take it down. They’re right to worry. There’s much handwringing about this issue and much breast-beating about the first amendment. It seems like an unanswerable conundrum. But there is an answer.

Terror Suspect Failed a Test

Terror Suspect Failed a Test – The Wall Street Journal
Terror suspect David Headley was questioned by an airport inspector in August and deceptive answers about his travels abroad helped officials begin to unravel Mr. Headley’s alleged double life. The 49-year-old Chicago man was charged this week for helping plot the terror attack in Mumbai a year ago that killed 166 people.

TSA Leaks Sensitive Airport Screening Manual

TSA Leaks Sensitive Airport Screening Manual – Wired
Government workers preparing the release of a Transportation Security Administration manual that details airport screening procedures badly bungled their redaction of the .pdf file. Result: The full text of a document considered “sensitive security information” was inadvertently leaked.

Freight forwarders urge TSA to create security standards for air cargo

Freight forwarders urge TSA to create security standards | Homeland Security News Wire A recent DHS inspector general report highlighted weaknesses in TSA’s inspection of air cargo, and mad six recommendation for improvement; professional forwarders agree, but also say that the inspection process should be made more transparent and that inspectors should communicate with forwarders […]

The Elephant in the Room: Scrapping 100 Percent Scanning

By Jena Baker McNeill
Homeland Security Policy Analyst at The Heritage Foundation
Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano testified before the Senate Commerce Committee on the topic of transportation security. What she said about cargo security was something lots of folks in the homeland security community have been saying for the past two years. There are a number of serious challenges that stand in the way of the 100 percent scanning mandate.

Cargo-Screening Flaws Put Fliers at Risk, U.S. Report Finds

Cargo-Screening Flaws Put Fliers at Risk, U.S. Report Finds – Bloomberg.com
Air passengers may be at risk of terrorist attacks because of air-cargo screening flaws, including a lack of required background checks on freight handlers, according to a U.S. government report.

Quiet GOP tactic stalls top Obama appointments

Quiet GOP tactic stalls top Obama appointments – Washington Times
Sen. Jim DeMint has locked a “hold” on President Obama’s pick to head the Transportation Security Administration over concerns the nominee would undermine safety by allowing airport security screeners to unionize, the latest in a series of appointments stymied by Republican objections that are increasingly frustrating the Senate’s Democratic majority.

Anniversaries and Remembrances: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

With the news of former TSA Administrator David Stone’s untimely death, two events compressed in my mind: TSA relocating to the Department of Homeland Security with President Bush signing the Homeland Security Act of 2002; and the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. It is my hope that we remember the “right” lessons from these events; that we honor the public servants and private sector folks who work so diligently to make us safer and more secure, and that we are ever vigilant against those who would do us harm.

Three-month extension in pipeline for FAA

Three-month extension in pipeline for FAA – Things With Wings
I’m hearing some very strong rumors that the Senate is proposing another three-month extension to FAA’s operating authority. This is significant for a number of reasons, particularly because it’s the clearest signal yet that a full reauthorization bill is not going to happen this year – despite several lawmakers and industry groups saying recently that passage before yearend was vital.