TSA Fails Security Check

TSA workers at New Jersey’s Newark Airport failed a security test last month, in which an undercover federal agent smuggled a fake Improvised Explosive Device (IED) through a security checkpoint.

The agent with a fake bomb made it through both a magnetometer screening and a secondary pat-down without raising any alarms, reports the New York Post.

How did the red-faced TSA respond to this incident? They released a statement on their blog saying, “We know that the adversary innovates and we have to push ourselves to capacity in order to remain one step ahead. With that said, our testers often make these covert tests as difficult as possible. It’s not like they’re using a cartoonish bundle of dynamite with an alarm clock strapped to it. These items are extremely hard to spot.”

Um, yes, we would hope that you’re not training TSA agents to look for “cartoonish bundles of dynamite with an alarm clock strapped to it,” because I’m pretty sure that’s not what the terrorists are using either.

Aside from the poor choice of words on the TSA’s blog response, the agency may also be in trouble for discussing the incident at all. The New York Post reports that Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), head of the Government Operations Subcommittee, alleges that the TSA’s blog writer violated national security protocols by revealing details of the failed test to the public.

Do you have faith in the TSA? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

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