The Implementation of Sustainable Security Measures Demands a TSA Head
According to one U.S. official, “blond-haired, blue-eyed types,” with American passports, are among those training in Al-Qaeda’s Yemen camps, reports the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Al Qaeda in Yemen and Somalia: A Ticking Time Bomb, released yesterday.
If it was not clear already, this information only makes it only more obvious that racially profiling at our borders and airports harms the American people – not only because it is poor public diplomacy, but also because this method will also likely fail to stop the next “underwear bomber.” Spencer Ackerman also highlighted this point on Attackerman yesterday.
It is with this in mind, that the withdrawal of President’s Obama’s choice for TSA head, Erroll Southers, is particularly troublesome. Blocked by Senator Jim DeMint, Southers, nominated in September 2009, cited his failure to move forward as the result of a ‘political agenda’ in his statement on Wednesday. Given the potential threat of radicalized Americans attempting to re-enter the country, not to mention others like Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, it is imperative TSA have a permanent head in place – and soon – to develop and put in place sustainable security measures.
Just to mention a few of the items on the future administrator’s plate: the already-controversial full-body scanner’s ability to actually locate bomb making materials is in question and more research and development must be completed if there is potential for achieving enhanced security through the use of biometrics. Also, more resources are required if our TSA agents are to properly and effectively profile based on behavior and actually watch the thousands of people which populate our terrorist watch lists.
White House spokesman Nicholas Shapiro failed to mention possible nominees in Wednesday morning’s statement, though Acting Administrator Gale Rossides may be the President’s choice.
