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Reader Survey: Do TSA Pat-Downs and Scanning Machines Cross the Line?

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November 17, 2010

There has been an active and passionate public debate over the use of Advanced Imaging Machines (AIT) and TSA pat-down techniques at airport security checkpoints. Some think the whole body scanners and pat-downs are just what’s needed for aviation security; others think the pat-downs and imaging machines infringe on personal privacy and may not be safe (the machines, that is). But which side holds the majority? Are the machines and pat-downs keeping us safe or do they tread on personal liberty? Take this anonymous Security Debrief survey, and let us know where you stand.

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Considering cargo in the larger terrorism scheme

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November 17, 2010

Considering cargo in the larger terrorism scheme – Daily Breeze
Thwarted plots or successful rehearsals? Operator failure or lesson learned? The answers to these counterterrorism questions may depend on your relationship to the bomber.

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TSA: Looking for Bad Things, Not Bad People

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November 16, 2010

In watching the news stories, one has to wonder if the TSA is doing Security Theater or do they really believe they are protecting our nation. The basic flaw I see with today’s screening system is that we are looking for bad things instead of bad people. Our focus is on many inanimate objects, which in and of themselves are not likely to pose a threat to airliners. The terrorists of 9/11 did not carry any banned items onto their flights. In fact, the only illegal thing they carried was the intent to do grave bodily harm.

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DHS intel reports way too slow, local officials say

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November 16, 2010

DHS intel reports way too slow, local officials say – Washington Post SpyTalk
The Department of Homeland Security is so slow getting intelligence bulletins to state and local police “fusion centers” that they are nearly worthless, according to an internal audit released on Monday. The bulletins, called Homeland Intelligence Reports, or HIRs, are “used to share information quickly with state and local personnel on suspicious activities prior to being fully vetted,” the inspector general’s report explained.

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Renewed Calls for Cargo Screening Brings Familiar Obstacles

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November 15, 2010

Renewed Calls for Cargo Screening Brings Familiar Obstacles – CQ Homeland Security
West Virginia Democrat John D. Rockefeller IV, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, took a moment last year during a hearing on post-Sept. 11 security issues to summarize the problem with international cargo security.

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Understanding the history, politics and security of Africa: We Need Serious, Sustained, Systematic and Scholarly Study

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November 15, 2010

Fall is the time, in the academic world, of conferences and annual meetings of high-minded associations. At the beginning of this month, I had the privilege to attend and participate in a conference that is rooted not in the ideals of ivory towers but in the realities of the history, politics, and culture of two important regions related to the defense of the United States, namely, the Middle East and Africa. my own paper was a modest initial attempt to build on past research performed on Africa. While much attention has been paid to China’s “new” presence on the continent since about 2004, less attention has focused on other influential nations’ activities in Africa. One such nation is Japan.

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Admiral Gary Roughead on the State of the Navy at Hudson Institute

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November 12, 2010

Next week, the Hudson Institute will host an address from Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, titled, “America’s Dwindling Naval Force: Future Consequences for U.S. Security.”

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Shippers campaign against full screening of cargo on planes

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November 11, 2010

Shippers campaign against full screening of cargo on planes – Homeland Security Newswire
Despite knowing for decades that terrorists could sneak bombs onto planes, the U.S. government failed to close obvious security gaps amid pressure from shipping companies fearful tighter controls would cost too much and delay deliveries.

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Models exist for tightening air cargo screening, specialists say

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November 10, 2010

Models exist for tightening air cargo screening, specialists say – NextGov
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Israeli government both have model procedures for securing freight with technology that the Homeland Security Department could emulate to tighten cargo screening aboard U.S.-bound flights, according to several transportation security experts.

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Radical Cleric Back on YouTube, Despite Video Purge

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November 9, 2010

Radical Cleric Back on YouTube, Despite Video Purge – Wired Danger Room
That didn’t take long. Less than a week after YouTube removed videos featuring jihadi cleric Anwar al-Awlaki — and less than a day since Awlaki dropped a new vid calling for the killing of Americans – clips of Awlaki’s latest call to arms are available on, you guessed it, YouTube.

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