| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Home Front: Politix | |
| TSA Beginning Interrogations As Part Of Pre-Flight Search | |
| 2011-10-14 | |
| In addition to passing through a metal detector, a random body scanning device, a physical pat down and luggage search, travelers are now experiencing "experimental" interrogations by TSA agents. Those who fail to comply are having their luggage searched. Travelers say they are being asked about their destination, for how long, and the purpose of their travel. Other questions include the contents of carry on luggage and why travelers are carrying significant amounts of cash. So far, only 48 travelers out of about 132,000 who have been questioned at Boston's Logan International Airport have refused to answer and had their luggage searched. Agents are also looking for behavioral clues to possible deception and hostility that warrants further scrutiny or a referral to law-enforcement officials. Suspicious travelers can be diverted for further questioning, but only 10 people have been referred to authorities on suspicion of crimes such as drug possession - not as terror suspects. Chat-downs are an extension of a program called SPOT, or Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques, that began after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. It now fields 3,000 officers at 161 airports at an annual cost of $212 million. From May 2004 to August 2008, 2 billion people boarded aircraft at SPOT airports and 152,000 were referred for secondary questioning, according to a Government Accountability Office report in May 2010. About 14,000 passengers were referred to law-enforcement officers and 1,100 were arrested during that period. Rather than charging anyone with terrorism, the SPOT detentions included 427 arrests of undocumented immigrants, 209 in connection with outstanding warrants, 166 on fraudulent documents and 125 on drug possession. Meanwhile, the GAO checked 16 people who had been charged in six terrorist plots during that period and found they had passed unhindered at least 23 times through eight airports where SPOT officers worked. So, the bottom line is that none of this ridiculously expensive crap stops terrorists, and is being used exclusively so that the federal government can nab petty criminals by denying constitutional rights to millions of travelers. What's not to like?
| |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #8 But one who is financing and enabling terrorism might be, especially in the face of effective monitoring of transactions across banks etc. And using cash to pay for rental cars, plane fares etc. is a useful way to avoid being detected before you're successful. The FBI connected the dots on the Colorado-based would be attacker of NYC in part through tracking credit card charges for such things, according to news reports. |
| Posted by: lotp 2011-10-14 20:56 |
| #7 Why does carrying a large amount raise suspicion of terrorism? The TSA is supposed to be checking for people who want to bad things to the airplanes (and soon trains, buses and automobiles). A terrorist who is planning on blowing up a plane is unlikely to be carrying lots of cash. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2011-10-14 20:38 |
| #6 They will put air travel back years. Well on their way to bankrupt this industry. |
| Posted by: Dale 2011-10-14 20:26 |
| #5 No.. Read the other side of this on a tech article. The TSA is testing a system that monitors people (Sort of a lie detector on steriods). It has hi-def video and infra-red and sniffers, microwave and mag sensors... all tied into a near AI analysis program. For the test phase they need to ask questions in a double blind way. Some of those asked are TSA folks pretending to lie or tell the truth and some are real folks. The "AI" is a learning one..... and its networked everywhere. They hope to have a sensored environment watching us - and not just at the airport. |
| Posted by: Water Modem 2011-10-14 19:57 |
| #4 "WHAT...is your name?" "Arthur, King of the Britons!" |
| Posted by: mojo 2011-10-14 11:01 |
| #3 TSA = another covert attempt to reduce C02 emissions? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-10-14 10:06 |
| #2 Just think how many more jobs can be created if all passengers have to be interrogated! |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2011-10-14 09:56 |
| #1 WAnna bet they have some rule about 'you can only question one muslim person per flight - but you can question as many white old ladies you want...' |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2011-10-14 09:08 |