Monday, December 28, 2009

Gatecrashers


How does it go now, “fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me?”

About a month ago, Michaele and Tareq Salahi sauntered, in plain sight, past gatekeepers at the White House. They had no invitation and were not on the guest list, yet they managed to attend the State Dinner hosted by the Obamas. It was shocking, but provided good juicy headlines, with great visuals. And everyone was relieved that it was just a party crash.

Now, we have a terrorist with a bomb, successfully boarding a plane headed to the U.S., without a passport. Hello? Security "gap", they say. I'd say it's more like a security Grand Canyon.

Let’s see …
—His father informs the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria that his son has become radicalized, might have traveled to Yemen, and could be a possible security risk
—He pays for his ticket in cash
—He checks no luggage
—Witnesses at the gate for the flight from Amsterdam, reported that he did not have a passport.

And if all of that did not raise a red flag, then just what, pray tell, does?

Janet Napolitano says they are looking into new technology. Experts talk about algorithms.

Do you really need an algorithm to identify this man as suspicious? How much technology do you need to connect the dots in this case? Searching for hidden liquids is great, but it seems to have prevented the recognition of obvious signs. How about something low tech--LIKE A CHECKLIST!

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