"This type of threat is not new, but our enemies are persistent and totally committed. They learn from their mistakes and then make adjustments all the time to try and stay ahead of security. Explosives come in ever changing shapes and materials to include a caulk like explosive that looks and feels just like toothpaste or Sunscreen. If we added personal hygiene products such as toothpaste to the “must be sampled” list, the lines would back up forever. It is just simpler, easier, and more logical to restrict those things in the sizes already established to minimize the risks to passenger aircraft." -- BAO RichardIn responding to this, I was wondering if there was a way to explain why this 3-1-1 policy is still stupid, yet without getting too complicated and hand wavy. So, if "out enemies" are totally committed and learn from their mistakes, then shouldn't we design our security model in such a way that a less than gifted high school freshman can't devise a simple plan to defeat it?
So allow me to pose my response to 3-1-1 as so:
Ali and his 5 friends want to blow up a plane. They have aquired a powerful explosive paste, but the current regulations state that each passenger may only bring 3 oz of "liquid" on a plane at once. Starting from Boston, and only moving 3 oz past checkpoints at a time, can Ali get his paste onto a single plane?
So Ali and his other 5 friends each take 3 oz of paste onto a plane for Chicago. They each leave their 3 oz with him, giving him a total of 15 oz. Of course, they scheduled flights to give them an overnight layover. So Ali waits in the terminal like a poor traveler, and the rest leave the airport, to come back for their flight, each with 3 more oz, giving Ali 37 oz of "explosive".
He gets on his connecting flight to LA, while his "friends" now get on their flights to Texas. The flight to LA explodes, and Ali wins the the day.
This is a plan that doesn't violate the 3-1-1 rule in any noticable way, and yet, still brings 12 times as much explosive on the plane as the 3-1-1 rule would allow, and used about as many people as 9/11 used for one plane. In this scenario, only one actual "bomber" is needed.
This plan was devised by a not very dedicated person, who has no interest in actually blowing up planes, over his lunch break.
Now raise your hand if you actually believe 3-1-1 is going to stop anyone with enough brains and sophistication to get ahold of explosive paste to begin with. Is anyone still convinced?
How about this one. Ali and his 5 friends each grab 12 oz of paste. His friends which are "caught" simply say "ok I am sorry" and let the TSA toss their "toothpaste" in the trash. They simply repeat this every few weeks until enough of them get through that they have enough explosive paste for their plans.
Total costs here for tickets might run into the couple of thousand dollars range.... maybe.
Why even purchase tickets. Just print up fake boarding passes at home. Make sure the name on the boarding pass matches the name on their ID, and you are in.
ReplyDeleteThe TSA tries to appear like they know what they are doing, but like you said almost a complete moron can circumvent every one of their "layers" of security.
When they finally admit they are clueless, and hire a real security expert, then maybe, just maybe there is hope. I wouldn't hold my breath though.