TSA Turns To Israeli-Style Screening

[PoliticalChic]

Boston’s TSA screeners — part of a security force whose competency has come under fire nationwide — soon will be carrying out sophisticated behavioral inspections under a first-in-the-nation program that’s already raising concerns of racial profiling, harassment of innocent travelers and longer lines.

The training for the Israeli-style screening — a projected $1 billion national program dubbed Screening Passengers by Observation Techniques — kicks off today at Logan International Airport and will be put to use in Terminal A on Aug. 15. It requires screeners to make quick reads of whether passengers pose a danger or a terror threat based on their reactions to a set of routine questions.

But security experts wonder whether Transportation Safety Administration agents are up to the challenge after an embarrassing string of blunders — including patting down a 95-year-old grandmother in Florida and making her remove her adult diaper and frisking a 3-year-old girl who screamed “stop touching me” at a checkpoint in Tennessee.

“The question is obviously, what is the quality of the verbal interaction that is going to be implemented?” asked Rafi Ron, a former Logan consultant and CEO of New-Age Security Solutions. “If it will have a poor quality, then obviously it will be another way to waste taxpayer money and increase the hassle to passengers. If not, then this will be great.”

Civil libertarians argue the screening is TSA showmanship — coming just weeks before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — and could quickly devolve into profiling.

“It’s an ineffective waste of taxpayer dollars that has the potential and the reality of leading to profiling based on race and ethnicity,” said Massachusetts ACLU executive director Carol Rose, who dismissed SPOT as “security theater.”
TSA to put Hub fliers on the spot - BostonHerald.com

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yjYOLjJMaw]‪Passengers Face Israeli Style Behavior Screening at Boston's Logan Airport‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Warrior102]

This is great. Shoud shake out some of the bad guys. Of course the Liberals are going to have "civil rights issues" with it.

Hey Libs - take it up with your selected leader Obama.

 

[Big Fitz]

About time they grew up.

 

[martybegan]

This is great. Shoud shake out some of the bad guys. Of course the Liberals are going to have "civil rights issues" with it.

Hey Libs - take it up with your selected leader Obama.

Most people forget is that it is impossible to create a screening program that is 100% effective. All you can do is make a person work harder to try to breach security.

What you attempt to do is stop the least capable 100% of the time, and force those smarter terrorists to take steps that increase the complexity of thier attempt, thus increasing the chance they screw up and are caught.

There will always be one uber-genius terrorist who will be able to outsmart any security if everything goes his way. What you are doing is trying to make him rely on a bit of luck to succeed at his task, and of course stop the other 99.99% of potential terrorists who arent as smart as the best one.

 

[Trajan]

a combination of all; searches scans and interviews should be employed. this sounds like a step in the right direction.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

The Israeli approach is deeply layered and has proved very effective. They don't have hijacking problems.

And it should end the harassment of nuns, grandmothers, and children in diapers.

Step one is recognize the biggest threat is males between 17 and 35 traveling without families.

 

[Moonglow]

This is great. Shoud shake out some of the bad guys. Of course the Liberals are going to have "civil rights issues" with it.

Hey Libs - take it up with your selected leader Obama.

I have no issue with it. If I were in control of the TSA. I would personally stripsearch all hot women.

 

[Si modo]

It's about fucking time. They should have implemented this at least a decade ago.

 

[Big Fitz]

It's about fucking time. They should have implemented this at least a decade ago.

Now drop the body scanners and groping.

 

[JMadison]

This is great. Shoud shake out some of the bad guys. Of course the Liberals are going to have "civil rights issues" with it.

Hey Libs - take it up with your selected leader Obama.

For those unaware, the Israelis use profiling. I saw an interview with the head of the Israel airport security admitted it. Unlike almost everyone else, the Israelis don't care about what people think, they do what works.

 

[PoliticalChic]

I'd like to hear from anyone who has been through the new system.