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TSA Tester Slips Fake Bomb Past Airport Screeners

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TSA manages to prove on camera, CNN’s no less, that some of their airport screeners are asleep at the switch.

From CNN:

Jason — that’s the name CNN was asked to call him — slides a simulated explosive into an elastic back support. The mock bomb is as slim as a wallet; its fuse, the size of a cigarette. He wraps the support around his torso, and the bomb fits comfortably into the small of his back.

It’s hard to tell he’s concealing anything; harder still when he dons a black T-shirt and a maroon golf shirt.

Then, with CNN’s cameras in tow, Jason heads to Tampa International Airport, where he’ll try to sneak the fake explosive past security screeners.

Jason, a covert tester for the Transportation Security Administration, has been probing airport weaknesses for five years, beginning with big mock bombs before switching to ever smaller devices as the TSA adapts to evolving terrorist threats.

The upside here is that TSA is taking the problem of lax performance on the part of some airport screeners seriously. Rather than jamming their head in the sand they are actively testing to improve security. A welcome improvement.

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  • kurt wismer said,

    January 28, 2008 @ 2:00 pm

    one wonders when the terrorists will start posing as tsa testers…

    Brad said,

    January 28, 2008 @ 2:14 pm

    You’re right, at least they’re actively probing for weaknesses.

    At the same time, I don’t know if it’s more disturbing that he was successful or that step by step instructions are now available.

    -Brad
    http://www.clashofculture.com

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