Are there vulnerabilities in TSAs checkpoint security — specifically related to IEDs?
Yes, there are vulnerabilities to any and every security measure. Q: Is that dangerous? A: Only if you don’t identify the vulnerabilities and don’t do something about them. Q: What vulnerabilities have you identified? A: For carry-on bags, our current x-rays don’t automatically identify all kinds of explosives so we have to depend on the Transportation Security Officer (TSO) at the x-ray to identify potential threats, call for a bag search and resolve the issue. This is of course subject to human error — there are something like ten million images a day we examine. For shoes, magnetometers and the old “shoe profile” don’t necessarily identify all threats. For people, magnetometers alone don’t necessarily identify all threats. Q: What have you done about it? A: For carry-on bags: complete workforce re-training by professional bomb techs supported by 300 full-time bomb techs deployed at checkpoints for hands-on help and training. Checkpoint IED drills using bomb components and simulated
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