As you may have heard, the TSA managed to allow a 93-page screening manual to be posted to the Interwebs, which outlines screening procedures for law enforcement officers, diplomats, prisoners, federal air marshals and others.
The House and Senate are absolutely livid, calling the breach “shocking and reckless”. Of course the TSA is downplaying this as best they can, calling the document “outdated, unclassified and unimplemented”.
However, the fact of the matter is that this document not only outlines screening procedures and limitations of X-ray machines, it also included detailed images of numerous identification cards that screeners would be required to recognize, including those used by members of Congress, the Federal Air Marshals, the CIA and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
If you’ve never seen one of these ID-flashes in action, it’s quite impressive. The guy in front of you pops out an Air Marshal ID, and he is essentially waved through without question. Armed. Yeah.
Does the TSA have a tough job? Yeah. Are they the favorite punching bag of the media more often than not? Well…yeah. Do they have a responsibility to be REALLY CAREFUL WITH THEIR STUFF? Um…yeah!!
Guys…seriously…this is not just another one of those MANY stories where you stripped searched someone’s grandmother, or made a woman drink her own bottled breastmilk to prove it wasn’t in fact some hidden explosive. Those were simply moronic.
This one is really really really really really stupid. Dumb like, someone needs to be fired…hard. Exiled perhaps. You handed out a roadmap of how best to circumvent what little security we have. Good job guys. Good job.
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