Tag: Airports

Closing Thought–26Jan18

Ever notice there are always lists for everything?

And a new list of countries to be careful of has been issued……

US authorities issued an emergency order Monday requiring additional screening of cargo on flights departing for the United States from five Mideast countries, citing a threat of terrorism. The Transportation Security Administration order is aimed at preventing terrorist attacks in response to “persistent threats to aviation,” TSA said in a statement. The countries falling under this order are Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The countries were chosen because of “demonstrated intent by terrorists groups to attack aviation from them,” the statement said. TSA said most of the requirements of the emergency order are already being carried out voluntarily by airlines in some countries, but it didn’t identify the countries.

Airlines that TSA said are affected by the order are EgyptAir, Royal Jordanian, Saudia, Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad, although EgyptAir no longer accepts cargo shipments on flights to the US at the request of American authorities, notes the AP. Under the requirements of the order, airlines are supposed to provide certain information on the shipments “at the earliest practical point” before loading the cargo to US customs officials. The shipment information is then compared to information the US has on terror threats.

What I find the most interesting is that most of the countries are allies……go figure!

What Price The Wall?

WE all have heard the grand scheme to protect the homeland from the invasion of the “benefits” snatchers….that scheme would be that all impressive WALL.

The big question is where will we cough up the cash to pay for this monstrosity without raising taxes?  Or just how will this effect the security of the homeland?

According to the “fat man in the bathtub” this, the Wall, will go a long way to protecting the nation from the influx of those rabid bad guys waiting at the border to come flooding in to cause chaos and mayhem….

First, you mental midgets that think this is a good idea do realize that this country has water on 3 sides, right?

Personally, I think that the Wall is a dumb idea from the inception….great slogan but has little practical application.

Then I saw a report on one way being considered to help pay for this abortion….

The Trump administration, searching for money to build the president’s planned multibillion-dollar border wall and crack down on illegal immigration, is weighing significant cuts to the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration and other agencies focused on national security threats, according to a draft plan.

The proposal, drawn up by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), also would slash the budget of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which provides disaster relief after hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters. The Coast Guard’s $9.1 billion budget in 2017 would be cut 14 percent to about $7.8 billion, while the TSA and FEMA budgets would be reduced about 11 percent each to $4.5 billion and $3.6 billion, respectively.

(WaPo)

Think about that for a minute you mindless dolts.

Budget cuts for Coast Guard and TSA….entry points far greater than that damn land bridge that you are so concerned about.

There is already a push back against this sort of “solution”…..

House Republicans and the nation’s largest association of retired military officers have called on the Trump administration to scrap a reported plan for a major cut in the Coast Guard budget, in part to pay for the proposed wall on the Mexican border.

“We cannot defend our homeland and continue critical security missions without the U.S. Coast Guard. It is as simple as that,” Rep. Frank LoBiondo, a New Jersey Republican and member of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, said in a statement.

“Whomever is advising President Trump that the service could do more with even less is detached from the facts and reality on the ground,” he said.

I realize that it is early in the process but to consider this line of thought is truly moronic….but what can we expect from a group that has NO idea what they are doing?

Guess that check from Mexico bounced, eh?

“Papers? Show Me Your Papers.”

Remember those lines from every World War 2 movie you have ever seen?  Always some jack booted a/hole demanding to see the heroes papers before he gets on a train and escapes.

I even joked about it coming to that after 9/11 and the rush for everyone to have a proper ID (papers)…..this would guarantee our safety and help control the bad element……it was humorous post on my part…..but recent events have come to light that make it not so humorous anymore……

This from a short piece in Time’s leisure section…….

Starting in 2016, travelers from five U.S. states will not be able to use their driver’s licenses as ID to board domestic flights—a pretty major development considering an estimated 38 percent of Americans don’t have passports.

The standard licenses from New York, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and American Samoa are considered “noncompliant” with the security standards outlined in the Real ID Act, which was enacted back in 2005 but is being implemented in stages. Why are these specific licenses deemed sub-par? In these five states, getting a license doesn’t require proof of citizenship or residency.

The new rules will go into effect sometime in 2016 (the exact date has not been announced), and there will be a three-month forgiveness period, during which people with these licenses will be warned that their IDs are no longer valid for flights.

Here’s the breakdown: if you’re from one of these states, “acceptable” IDs include passports and passport cards, as well as permanent resident cards, U.S. military ID, and DHS trusted traveler cards such a Global Entry and NEXUS.  (what about those damn silly voter IDs?)

The TSA will also accept Enhanced Driver’s Licenses, the kind that are currently used to replace passports for travel to and from  Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Of the noncompliant states, only New York and Minnesota issue enhanced licenses.

For families from these states, at least children under 18 years old do not need ID when traveling with a companion.

Only thing missing since TSA and others are wearing black uniforms will be the line….”Papers?  Show me your papers”…….

As long as we are talking about flying and the chance of a TSA grope…..how about this piece about flying?

Source: Flying the Unfriendly Skies of America by Tom Engelhardt — Antiwar.com

Can you remember when traveling was an enjoyable pursuit?  I can.  Those days are gone, my friend.

TSA: Securing The Homeland

By now all have heard how badly the TSA failed their tests in major airports……where fake terrorists tried and succeeded getting all kinds of weapons and such through their screening process……

Last week the news was slam full of the horror stories and a TSA big shot resigned over the horrible showing by the TSA agents……of course the news out of DHS is that they will revamp the training and the screening process to make us safer…….I do not think that this story will help their pursuit of confidence…….

And then while they were licking their wounds from the failed tests…..more bad news came out…….

The good news from the Department of Homeland’s Security new report on the TSA’s “multi-layered process to vet aviation workers for potential links to terrorism”: That process is “generally effective.” The bad news: There were still 73 individuals who should never have gotten jobs with airlines because they were tagged with terrorism-related category codes. The main problem, the report notes, is that, under current interagency watchlist policy, the TSA isn’t allowed to receive every bit of terrorism-related data, meaning airlines often have to fend for themselves in determining whether a job applicant is properly vetted, including whether an applicant is lawfully allowed to work in the US and if the applicant has committed any crimes that would disqualify him from gaining unsupervised access to secure airport areas. The TSA and airports aren’t permitted to conduct “recurrent criminal history vetting,” meaning the applicant would have to self-report, the DHS report notes.

How the DHS conducted its analysis: The agency asked the National Counterterrorism Center to cross-reference more than 900,000 records of current aviation workers against the NCTC’s terror watchlist. The list’s terrorism codes associated with the 73 individuals in question were not shared with the TSA during the vetting process due to current interagency rules that prohibit such sharing, the report finds. It also notes that “thousands of records” pored over during the vetting process contained incomplete info; sometimes applications would only include an initial for a candidate’s first name or would be missing a Social Security number. The workers who slipped through “were employed by major airlines, airport vendors, and other employers,” the report adds, and were cleared for access to secure areas, “despite representing a potential transportation security threat.” (Two Denver TSA screeners were fired for an alleged “groping scheme.”)

This is NOT an isolated case of a failed test…..there seems to be a continuing story of failure by the agents……..and yet they stick with the same program and promise to do better in the future….

What will it take to flush this program down the toilet and start fresh?

Just wondering.