Suprise, Suprise, the GAO just released a report suggesting the TSA needs to tighten security on the cargo that sits beneath us, in the belly of nearly every domestic airplane in the skies today. Don't ask me why the GAO would have an issue with the way 80 year old Grandmothers are given the fine-toothed comb
inside the airport, yet thousands of pounds of air mail and cargo are loaded onto planes without so much as a cursory examination.
This is nothing new. This is one of many glaring holes in our national security left open by an administration hell bent on destabilizing the middle east at the expense of security here at home (and the lives of our young men and women).
Link and text on the other side:
http://news.yahoo.com/...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration needs to strengthen the security of domestic air cargo, Congressional investigators said in a report released on Wednesday.
With six billion pounds of air cargo transported annually on passenger aircraft within the United States, the Government Accountability Office said the Transportation Security Administration should complete an assessment of air cargo vulnerabilities.
The GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, also recommended that the TSA re-examine the rationale behind exempting some air cargo from random inspections. It said the administration also needs to develop measurements of whether carriers were complying with existing security requirements.
Although the TSA screens passengers and their baggage, it
assigns security responsibilities for air cargo to carriers.
Despite measures that include random cargo inspections, pilot security checks and a shippers database, critics say not enough has been done to prevent the smuggling of a bomb onto a passenger aircraft through a cargo shipment.
Rep. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat said the 100 percent screening of passengers gives travelers a false sense of security when only a tiny fraction of cargo in the belly of the plane is checked.
"Americans need to know that their sneakers may be inspected but that objects the size of a car are waved on board," Markey said in a statement.
Connecticut Republican Rep. Chris Shays said air cargo was routinely inspected in other nations, adding "it's time to implement tougher inspection regulations."
The Department of Homeland Security said in comments accompanying the report that it generally agreed with the GAO findings and recommendations. It said the threat of a terrorist exploiting the air cargo supply chain was real and a high priority.
The department said a risk-based approach was required that balanced enhanced security without "unduly impeding the flow of commerce."
A major rule to strengthen requirements for the air cargo industry was underway with final regulations due late this year, the DHS said.
"due late this year..."? WTF?!?
So basically, 4 years after 9/11 Bush has found a way to invade and incompetently occupy a middle eastern country that posed absolutely no threat to the US, providing a virtual terrorist training ground where terrorists can come into Iraq freely, practice their trade, then leave Iraq as experienced terrorists ready to commit their bombings all over the world.
His cronies found time to leak the name of an undercover CIA operative who was running a front company seeking to stop the proliferation of WMD, doing an unimaginable amount of damage to national security, but he couldn't find time to fix the security problems right here at home.
This makes me so mad I could vomit...