Al Qaeda's Bomb Makers Are Developing Better Bombs

Al Qaeda's Bomb-Makers Evolve, Adapt And Continue To Plot -- CNN

(CNN) -- Three months before he was killed by a U.S. drone strike, Fahd al Quso, one of al Qaeda's top operatives in Yemen, spoke at length to a local journalist. He was asked why al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula had stopped plotting against the United States. Was it because all efforts were devoted to an internal project?

"The war didn't end between us and our enemies. Wait for what is coming," al Quso replied.

It seems al Quso, the head of the group's external operations, wasn't bluffing after the recent discovery of a device designed to be carried aboard an airliner by a suicide bomber without detection.

Read more ....

Update: Bomb plot shows new level of sophistication, lawmaker says -- CNN

My Comment: It seems that we are getting closer to that nightmare scenario in which Al Qaeda has developed small but powerful bombs that are untraceable and undetectable by airport security.

Former Secretary Of Defense Rumsfeld Patted Down In Airport

Donald Rumsfeld -- Is That a Gun In Your Pocket? -- TMZ

No one is immune to the probing hands of the TSA ... including former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ... who got the pat-down at Chicago's O'Hare airport this afternoon ... and TMZ has the pics.

Sources at the airport tell TMZ ... Rummy was all smiles during the body sweep and was "very nice" throughout the procedure.

Read more ....

My Comment: Another reason why profiling should be implemented, not searching passengers according to a number in the line. More here.

Are Terrorists About To Implant Bombs In Humans

Militants from al Qaeda's branch in Yemen are mulling plans to surgically implant explosive devices in would-be suicide bombers, possibly targeting airlines, U.S. officials said Wednesday. Keith Johnson has details.

Warning Of Surgically Enhanced Terrorism -- The Telegraph

Terrorists could use surgically implanted explosives to carry out attacks on aircraft, the US government has warned.

Intelligence suggests that terrorists are planning to use high explosive hidden under the skin which could then be injected with another chemical.

While there is no information about a specific plot, US officials have picked up chatter suggesting that the method could be used against Western targets by terrorists boarding aircraft abroad.

They have warned transport officials in Britain and elsewhere to be on the guard against such attacks.

Read more ....

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More News On Terrorists Planning To Surgically Implant Explosives

Alert: Terrorists look to implant bombs in humans -- Forbes/AP
TSA warns of possible airline threat involving implanted bombs -- L.A. Times
Terrorists may try to surgically implant bombs in their bodies, TSA warns -- NJ.com
TSA warns airlines of explosive implants -- USA Today
U.S. Warns Airlines on Human Bomb Implants -- Wall Street Journal
Security officials see renewed interest in implanted explosives -- CNN
Beware new breast implant bomb, feds warn: Terrorists may try to sneak in explosives in implants -- New York Daily News
Feds: Foreign terrorists want to implant explosive devices in fliers -- MSNBC
US warning of airline plot to implant bombs in people -- AFP
TSA warns airlines of 'human bombs' -- Politico

My Comment: I guess breast implants are "probably" going to be scrutinized more intensely than before.

Airport Security To The Absurd

Surely not: A baby being searched by TSA Agents at Kansas City airport

Baby Bomb Threat: Outrage As Toddler Is Given Full Frisking By TSA Agents -- The Daily Mail

A disturbing photograph which shows a baby being subjected to a full body search by airport security has caused outrage after it was posted online.

The picture, which was uploaded to a social networking site, appears to show two TSA agents at Kansas City International Airport laughing as they pat down the child, who is being held in the air by his mother.

Perhaps concerned that the toddler might be smuggling weapons in his diaper, the burly security guard and his female assistant focus their attention on the lower half of the child's body.

Read more ....

My Comment: The above photo should be the poster picture for Homeland/TSA security running amok.

Training Rats To Sniff Out Terrorists At Airports

Danger: Crack teams of mice are being trained to detect would-be bombers and drugs couriers - rather like Danger Mouse

The Real Danger Mouse: Rodents Trained To Sniff Out Terrorists At Airports -- The Daily Mail

Stand down the sniffer dogs, switch off the full-body scanners...Danger Mouse is on the case.

Crack teams of mice are being trained to detect would-be bombers and drugs couriers – rather like the 1980s cartoon secret agent.

The sniffer rodents are then hidden in airport scanners, ready to raise the alarm.

Read more ....

My Comment: Now I have heard everything.

Bombing At Moscow's Domodedovo Airport Is A Wake-Up Call For Airport Security

TSA 'Not Capable' of Detecting Moscow-Like Attack, Critics Say -- ABC News

Hundreds of Millions Wasted On Program to Spot Airport Terrorists, Says Leading GOP Congressman

A $212-million federal program designed to spot suspected terrorists at American airports is "not capable of detecting what took place in Moscow," according to the chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Rep. John Mica, R-Florida.

The program, called SPOT, was created in 2006 by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and now has more than 3,000 "Behavior Detection" officers at 161 airports. The officers receive four days of classroom instruction on how to spot certain unusual behaviors.

Read more ....

Update: Terrorists look to unprotected parts of airports -- USA Today

My Comment: Again .... airport security will be reacting to terrorism instead of predicting what they are capable of .... but this attack should not be a surprise to anyone. I have passed through many airport lobbies over the years, and I have always been consciously aware that it would be very easy for a suicide bomber to mingle in these open spaces and detonate a bomb. I am sure that security officials in many of these airports were also aware of this possibility, and were operating on a level of hope that it would not happen on their watch. Unfortunately for those in Moscow's Domodedovo's airport .... their luck ran out.

My prediction .... expect the security bubble to expand to cover airports as a whole. This is going to be expensive, but in view of what has happened in Moscow ..... not many are going to object to this development.

London Bound Flight Diverted By Fighter Jets

The Etihad plane was escorted into Stansted Airport. Photo from Sky News

Fighter Jets Escort Plane to London Airport -- Wall Street Journal

LONDON—British fighter jets escorted a passenger plane to a London airport following a bomb threat made by a passenger onboard, underscoring how European nations are currently on high alert over potential terrorist threats.

British police said that a 37-year-old British national was arrested after making threats on board. The Ministry of Defence said that two Typhoon fighter jets had escorted the plane to Stansted Airport, north east of London, after it was diverted from Heathrow.

Read more ....

My Comment: After what happened in Moscow today .... this is not a surprise.

Thermos Bombs?

Insulated Beverage Containers to Undergo Extra Security at Airports -- ABC News

Thermoses Could Be Used to Conceal Weapons, TSA on Alert.

Travelers toting thermoses and insulated beverage containers through the nation's airports today might face heightened security measures, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

"The possible tactics terrorists might use include the concealment of explosives inside insulated beverage containers, so in the coming days, passengers flying within and to the U.S. may notice additional security measures related to insulated beverage containers," the TSA said in a statement released early today.

Read more ....

More News On The Possible Use Of Thermoses By Terrorists

Thermoses, coffee cups added to list of possible terrorist weapons -- Christian Science Monitor
TSA alert: Thermoses could be used as bombs -- MSNBC
Official: Thermos alert an attempt to think ahead -- Washington Post/AP
US tips off airlines of bomb tactic -- Al Jazeera
TSA issues warning on insulated drink containers like thermoses for holiday travelers this season -- New York Daily News
Citing terror threat, airport security focuses on insulated containers -- CNN
TSA takes aim at thermos jugs -- UPI

More Airport Security News: TSA Failure Rate May Approach 70%

Man Accidentally Carries Loaded Gun Onto Plane; TSA Failure Rate May Approach 70% -- Discover Magazine

It seems like terrorists don’t even need to think of crazy new shoe, underwear, or pancake bombs to get around the TSA, since airport security seems to have forgotten what normal weapons look like. Though they still won’t let me bring four ounces of conditioner onto the plane.

About a year ago, Houston businessman Farid Sief accidentally brought his loaded Glock on a flight from Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport. The loaded gun, which Seif carries for protection, was tucked away in his laptop case, and should have been clearly visible since he had to take his laptop out of the bag, which was practically empty.

Read more ....

My Comment: Security asleep at the job .... why am I not shocked.

Pilot Posts Video Exposing Airport Security Flaws, And Is Punished For It

Pilot Posts Video Exposing Airport Security Flaws -- ABC News

In An Exclusive Interview with ABC News, Pilot Says TSA's Reaction Was 'Overkill'.

The airline pilot who was reprimanded by the TSA for posting videos showing security flaws at a major airport is speaking out exclusively for the first time, saying that it was the "fallacy of the system" that inspired him to take this action.

Late last month a 50-year-old pilot, who asked that his name and the airline he works for not be made public, took a series of videos with his cell phone to show major flaws he says still exist in airport security systems. The videos show how easily ground crews at San Francisco International Airport were able to access secure areas. "As you can see, airport security is kind of a farce. It's only smoke and mirrors so you people believe there is actually something going on here," the pilot says on one video.

Read more ....

More News On Airport Security

Sacramento-area pilot punished for YouTube video -- News10 ABC
SFO pilot exposes airport security flaws -- ABC News7
S.F. pilot: Airline security 'a farce' -- UPI
TSA slams pilot for criticizing security -- WND
TSA punishes pilot for criticizing its security flaws -- Thomas Lifson, American Thinker

My Comment: So typical of our government .... instead of solving the problem (which they will not), they decide to intimidate and punish the messenger.

'Are You A Terrorist?'

A Suspect Detection Systems' 'automatic polygraph' booth in use in Israel - passengers respond to questions on a screen while sensors record data from the left hand

'Are You A Terrorist?' The Simple Question Being Asked At An Airport Which Could Rumble A Suicide Bomber -- The Daily Mail

Airport security checks are not only intrusive, demeaning and a mind-numbing drain on our precious time. They don't actually work. But as David Rose reports from Israel, a new generation of scanning systems are so good they can pick out a terrorist by asking a terribly simple question: Are you or are you not a terrorist?

Read more ....

My Comment: I like the Israeli approach .... they look for terrorists, while we look for their bombs.

Pat-Downs, Protests Get Personal - Really Personal - At U.S. Airports (Photo Gallery)

A Transportation Security Agency (TSA) worker runs the back of her hand between a traveller's breasts during a patdown search at Denver International Airport, the day before the Thanksgiving holiday in Denver November 24, 2010. Millions of Americans took to the skies on Wednesday for the start of the Thanksgiving holiday but air travel flowed smoothly despite protests over new security procedures, including calls for passengers to boycott high-tech body scanners. Over 160,000 people were expected to move through the airport today. Photograph by: RICK WILKING, REUTERS

WNU Editor: The photo gallery can be found here.

Hat Tip: ELP Defens(c)e Blog

Top TSA Airport Security News and Analysis

Transportation Security Agency (TSA) workers carry out security checks at Denver International Airport the day before the Thanksgiving holiday. Air travel flowed smoothly despite national 'Opt-Out Day' protests over new security procedures, including calls for passengers to boycott high-tech body scanners. Rick Wilking/Reuters

From Popular Mechanics:

The complaints continue to pile up about how the TSA is handling airport security: Taking off shoes and belts is unnecessarily intrusive, some say; scanners are adding to pilots' already-high radiation levels and, in some opinions, are giving strangers a glimpse beneath your undergarments; and intrusive pat-downs are your only other option. Here's the top news and analysis on your rights, national defense concerns and changing airport security procedures.

Read more ....

Backlash Against Airport Screening Procedures Continues

TSA Pat Down Went Too Far, Agency Chief Says -- ABC News

TSA Administrator Says Search of Passenger's Underwear Should Have Never Happened, Agency May Rethink Protocols

The beleaguered head of the Transportation Security Administration said today that at least one airport passenger screening went too far when an officer reached inside a traveler's underwear, and the agency is open to rethinking its current protocols.

Read more ....

More News On Enhanced Airport Security Measures

US mulling 'less invasive' options to pat-downs -- AFP
Pat-down backlash grows during holiday travel rush -- CNN
TSA chief worries over body scan protest -- Washington Times
Officials feel furor of airport pat-downs -- Washington Times
TSA's security charade -- Washington Times editorial
The T.S. of A takes control -- George Will, Washington Post
What to expect from TSA screening? -- Washington Post

TSA Threatens Passengers With Severe Fines And Arrest For Those Who Refuse Airport Scans And Pat Downs

Photo from Drudge Report

$11,000 Fine, Arrest Possible For Some Who Refuse Airport Scans And Pat Downs -- Sun Sentinel

If you don't want to pass through an airport scanner that allows security agents to see an image of your naked body or to undergo the alternative, a thorough manual search, you may have to find another way to travel this holiday season.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is warning that any would-be commercial airline passenger who enters an airport checkpoint and then refuses to undergo the method of inspection designated by TSA will not be allowed to fly and also will not be permitted to simply leave the airport.

Read more ....

More News On Airport Security

Uproar Over TSA Pat-Downs Grows Louder As Fliers Share Their Stories -- NPR
TSA pat-downs 'overly intrusive,' key lawmakers say -- USA Today
Homeland Security chairman to TSA: 'Reconsider' pat-downs -- The Hill
Fliers liken pat-downs to sexual assault -- MSNBC
TSA exempts pilots from pat-downs -- L.A. Times
Transportation Security Administration: Pilots exempt from full-body scanners, intrusive pat-downs -- New York Daily News
Pilots get exemption on X-rays, pat-downs -- Seattle Times/McClatchy News
TSA screenings: What protections do you have? -- Christian Science Monitor
Airport security measures prompt new website -- Reuters
Airport Security vs Personal Privacy: 3 Things No One Wants To Talk About -- Popular Mechanics

Security Gets More Personal At U.S. Airports

Pat Down Or Full Body Scan? Security Gets More Personal At Airports -- ABC News

As TSA Changes Airport Pat-Down Procedure, Some Ask If Security Has Gone Too Far

Next time you pass through security in some airports around the country, you may face a difficult dilemma: Would you rather have a revealing, full body scan or what some are calling an X-rated pat down?

Some passengers opt out of the full-body scan, concerned about the low doses of radiation emitted by the high-tech body scanners that are being put in place in many terminals. The machines also are able to see beneath clothes, creating a photo-realistic picture of the passenger's body.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Europeans are right .... these security changes will (probably) not impact the threat that terrorists present.

Are Body Airport Scanners Too Revealing?

Anatomical Ridicule Raises Body-Scanning Concerns -- CNN

(CNN) -- Full-body scanning machines may reveal a little too much, if an incident of workplace violence this week among Transportation Security Administration screeners is any indication.

A TSA worker at Miami International Airport in Florida was arrested for allegedly assaulting a co-worker who had repeatedly teased him about the size of his genitals.

The insults stemmed from an X-ray of the accused captured during a training exercise with the airport's full-body scanning machines, the report said.

Read more ....

More News On Airport Body Scanners

Penis Jokes Turn TSA Worker Testy; Attacks Co-Worker, Say Police -- CBS News
Police: Genital teasing led to beating -- UPI
TSA Worker Arrested After Jokes, Fight About Size of Genitalia -- FOX News
Miami airport screener accused of attack after jeers at genitals -- Miami Herald
TSA Genitalia Jokes Bode Badly For Full-Body Airport Scans -- Forbes

My Comment: I am sure that Islamic groups are going to use this information to further protest the use of airport body scanners on their women in full hijab dress.

Video: Boeing 747 Withstands Simulated What-If Underwear Bomber Blast

From Popular Science:

The bomb blast was meant to gauge what might have happened if the Flight 253 suicide bomber succeeded.

An explosion aboard Flight 253 on Christmas Day would not have crippled the Boeing 747, according to a recent test that simulated the success of would-be bomber Umar Abdulmutallab. Only the bomber and passenger next to him would have died, the BBC reports.

Read more ....

My Comment: I am sure that Al Qaeda is appreciative of this test .... it means that if they wish to do this again in the future, they will have to pack more explosive.

Invasion Of The Body Scanners

Photo: A body scanner like this has been installed in Winnipeg's James Richardson International Airport. (Canadian Air Transport Security Authority)

New Full-Body Scanners For 2 Airports -- New York Times/AP

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The first of 150 full-body scanners planned for U.S. airports will be installed in Boston next week, officials said Tuesday.

The plan is to install three machines at Logan International Airport, according to a homeland security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not yet been made. In the next two weeks, officials plan to install another machine at Chicago's O'Hare International.

Read more ....

More News On The Introduction Of Full Body Scanners In North American Airports

AP source: New full-body scanners going to airports in next 2 weeks for passenger screening -- Canadian Press
O'Hare, Logan first to get new full-body scanners -- USA Today
Airport scanners ready for deployment -- UPI
Airport scanners still in storage -- Politico

Body scanners operating at Winnipeg airport -- CBC News
Winnipeg airport gets full-body scanner -- CTV
Winnipeg: Full-body scanner now at city airport -- Winnipeg Free Press

Airport Scanners In UK Airports May Violate Human Rights Laws

UK Airport Scanners May Violate Laws-Rights Group -- Alertnet

LONDON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The use of full-body scanners at British airports may breach human rights laws, the country's equality commission said on Tuesday, potentially undermining the latest weapon against terrorism.

The new technology has been hurriedly introduced at London's Heathrow airport and Manchester airport in northern England after a botched attempt to bomb a U.S.-bound passenger aircraft from Amsterdam on Christmas Day.

Read more ....

My Comment: It seems that everything can now be interpreted as a violation of human rights .... the madness continues.

As to what is my own take on the use of body scanners in airports .... I am more concerned about stories like this.