The Body Scanner Scam

Edward Luttwak, a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, has a must read op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal… In short Mr. Luttwak lays way waste to the fallacy of body scanners in airport security screening:

All males have a body cavity. Females have two body cavities. In prisons, these body cavities are habitually used to smuggle drugs and improvised weapons past body searches, including complete nudity strip searches.

Given the power of widely available explosives, the amount that can be carried inside a body cavity—let alone two—is sufficient to destroy ordinary pressurized airliners at normal flight altitudes. That makes “pat downs,” or indeed any form of physical inspection that is remotely feasible in any airport of any normal country, entirely futile. That alone rules out scanners as a solution unless they are both very-high definition and pat downs are not allowed as an alternative.

Futility has not of course deterred the United States from creating and operating a vast Transportation Security Administration apparatus critically dependent on metal detectors. At enormous cost, and by inflicting enormous inconvenience, it almost guarantees the detection of any explosive device—so long as it is firmly attached to a nail clipper.

Reliance on metal detectors was dubious from the start not only because they cannot detect explosives as such, but because they cannot even detect knives if they are made out of ceramic. Some manufacturers of ceramic knives add metal to them specifically to allow detection. Others do not and their knives are just as lethal—certainly more so than the short box cutters used by the 9/11 terrorists.

Our current airport screening system is destined to fail for the simple reason we place to much emphasis on screening for and finding things. If we truly want to improve security we to invest as much if not more resources in screening people and identifying  potential threats as we do in finding weapons

The body scanners currently being pushed as the best way to prevent another “underwear bomber” only perpetuate that “things” mentality… Our enemies aren’t stupid, and as Mr. Luttwak points out the body scanners can be easily defeated.

It’s time we faced reality and realized that invading our physical privacy at airports isn’t going to make us safer, we need to focus on people not just things.

Napolitano Backtracks; Now Says System Didn’t Work

Security of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano is backtracking on remarks she made over the weekend regarding the attempted bombing of Northwest Airline flight 253:

Napolitano, appearing Monday on NBC’s “Today Show,” explained comments she made Sunday regarding an incident in which a Nigerian man allegedly ignited an incendiary device aboard a U.S. jetliner on Christmas Day were “taken out of context.”

During a Sunday appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Napolitano said “What we are focused on is making sure that the air environment remains safe, that people are confident when they travel. And one thing I’d like to point out is that the system worked.”

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Out of context??? Nonsense, lets examine what she said on Sunday:

What we are focused on is making sure that the air environment remains safe, that people are confident when they travel. And one thing I’d like to point out is that the system worked. Everybody played an important role here. The passengers and crew of the flight took appropriate action.

Secretary Napolitano wasn’t just talking just about other flights, she was also talking about Northwest 253… She may have misspoken, but she was most definitely not taken out of context. Bottom line, DHS’s incident response systems may have worked properly, but their passenger screening measures failed miserably in this case.

Related

• Warning on Detroit suspect didn’t rise above the ‘noise’ – Washington Post
• U.S. Failed to Catch Suspect’s Active Visa – CBS News
• Al-Qaida in Yemen claims attack on US airliner – Examiner.com

Janet Napolitano: “The System Worked”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again now: Janet Napolitano is an idiot who is completely unqualified for the position she holds. If anyone doubts the accuracy of that statement, her appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” today should remove any doubt:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Sunday that the thwarting of the attempt to blow up an Amsterdam-Detroit airline flight Christmas Day demonstrated that “the system worked.”

Asked by CNN’s Candy Crowley on “State of the Union” how that could be possible when the young Nigerian who has been charged with trying to set off the bomb was able to smuggle explosive liquid onto the jet, Napolitano responded: “We’re asking the same questions.”

With all due respect Madam Secretary, the system failed miserably… a person who was on a terrorist watch list got on to an airplane with an explosive device sewn into his underwear. If it wasn’t for a failed detonator and the quick actions of passengers things would have turned out much differently.

Bottom line Madam Secretary we got lucky this time, the bad guys are going to try again, and again, and again and sooner or later they’re going to get lucky. The sad truth is our screening procedures place to much emphasis on trying to find weapons and not enough on trying to identify terrorists. Until we’re willing to place as much emphasis on preventing terrorists from boarding flights as we are on keeping weapons off we’re going to remain vulnerable.

Related

• Wealthy, quiet, unassuming: the Christmas Day bomb suspect – The Independent
• Missed Warning Signs – Gerald Posner, The Daily Beast
• Peter King rebukes Napolitano – Politico
• Video: Napolitano On Failed Terror Attempt: “The System Worked” – Real Clear Politics
• Poll: “The system worked”? – Hot Air
• Clown alert: Janet Napolitano says the “system worked” – Michelle Malkin

Christmas Day Terror: Bomb Attempt on U.S.-Bound Flight

From the Wall Street Journal:

A passenger on a Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight tried Friday to detonate an explosive device strapped to his leg and later told investigators he had affiliations with al Qaeda and was trying to blow up the plane, according to a senior U.S. official.

“We believe this was an attempted act of terrorism,” said a White House official.

The suspect told investigators he was given the device by al Qaeda operatives in Yemen, along with detonation instructions, the official said. “This guy claims he is tied to al Qaeda, specifically in Yemen,” the official said. “He claims he was on orders from al Qaeda in Yemen. Who knows if that’s true?”

Rep. Peter King (R., N.Y.) identified the man as a 23-year-old Nigerian named Abdul Mudallad. Officials said they believed the man boarded a KLM flight in Lagos, Nigeria, and changed planes in Amsterdam, although that couldn’t immediately be confirmed. The suspect’s name didn’t appear on any terrorist watch lists maintained by U.S. authorities, Mr. King said, but it turned up “hot” in other terrorism-related databases maintained by intelligence officials.

On Saturday morning, Britain’s Metropolitan Police Service was searching a “number” of properties in central London that may be related to the attempted bombing, according to a spokeswoman. “We are liasing with U.S. authorities and are conducting enquiries in conjunction with them,” she said, declining to give further details.

First how did he get the device on to the plane? I know the Transportation Security Administration has warned about Nigeria’s porous airport security in the past, so one would assume the suspect would have gone through some sort of additional screening in Amsterdam?

Second let’s resist the urge to somehow try and blame this on Pres. Obama and/or his administrations policies. The simple truth is there going to be another terrorist attack in this country; it’s inevitable. The bad guys only have to get lucky once, to stop them we have to be good every single day.

Update (11:25 a.m.): Via Hot Air, a Nigerian newspaper is reporting that the suspected bomber’s father reported him to authorities after his son’s jihadist rhetoric started to worry him:

The older Mutallab, as at the time of filing this report, had just left his Katsina hometown for Abuja to speak with security agencies, family sources say. According to the family members, Mutallab has been uncomfortable with the boy’s extreme religious views and had six months ago reported his activities to United States’ Embassy, Abuja and Nigerian security agencies.

The older Mutallab was said to be devastated on hearing the news of Abdul Farouk’s attempted bombing and arrest. A source close to him said he was surprised that after his reports to the US authorities, the young man was allowed to travel to the United States.

~~~

At the secondary school, he was known for preaching about Islam to his school mates and he was popularly called “Alfa”, a local coinage for Islamic scholar. After his secondary school, the suspect went to University College London to study engineering and later relocated to Egypt, and then Dubai. While in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, he declared to his family members that he did not want to have anything to do with any of them again.

Update (1:05 p.m.): Fox News is reporting that U.S. officials have known for two years that Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, the suspect in the attempted Northwest Airlines bombing could have terrorist ties:

An official briefed on the foiled attack on a Detroit airliner says the U.S. has known for at least two years that the suspect could have terrorist ties.

The official tells The Associated Press that the suspect, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, has been on a list that includes people with known or suspected contact or ties to a terrorist or terrorist organization.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

Multiple law enforcement officials identified Mutallab as a Nigerian national who was reportedly an engineering student at London’s University College.

Update (4:50 p.m.): Reuters reports that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian national, has been charged with attempting to blow Northwest Airlines flight 253. A preliminary analysis by the FBI shows that he tried to ignite pentaerythritol (PETN) which had been attached to his body.

Related

• Nigerian arrested in failed plane attack claims links to al-Qaeda – Washington Post
• Failed plane attack thought to be terror act – Washington Times
• King: Airline bombing suspect had ’significant terrorist connections’ – The Hill
• Detroit terror attack: Scotland Yard probes ‘British student airline bomber’ – Telegraph
• Passenger details fight to stop alleged terrorist – NYPOST.com

A Few Thoughts on Obama’s Afghanistan Speech

First off let preface this by saying I didn’t watch President Obama’s speech last night, instead I read the transcript this morning. The first thing about his speech that struck me is no where in it did he mention victory… A fact noted by LA Times blogger Andrew Malcolm:

President Obama spoke 4,582 words in his prime-time Afghanistan war speech at West Point last night.

He said “Al Qaeda” 22 times.

He mentioned the “Taliban” 12 times.

And here’s how many times the Democratic chief executive used the word “victory” — 0.

That telling omission says more than anything about Obama’s 322nd day in office, when he gave his first major address as the United States’ commander in chief.

The sad truth is nothing in the President’s speech leads me to believe that he is fully committed to prosecuting this war to it’s end even though he made winning the war in Afghanistan a central part of his Presidential campaign.

Anyway, President Obama outlined three broad strategies last night, the first Denying al Qaeda a safe haven is counter-terrorism… It’s Joe Biden’s “magic ninjas” and drones strategy. Which I would assume is why he decided to commit far fewer troops than Gen. McChrystal asked for. The second and third, reversing the momentum of the Taliban and safeguarding the Afghan people are elements of counter-insurgency, even with the 30,000 additional troops we’re woefully undermanned.

I have no doubt Gen. McChrystal will the best he can with the resources he has, but counter-insurgency is labor intensive mission and given the troops available I’m not sure he’ll be able to do much more than secure urban centers.

Lastly the President set a time line for our mission in Afghanistan, a time line that ultimately undermines the counter-insurgency mission.  In order for COIN operations to work you troops have to “flood the zone” and work to build trust with locals so they’ll be willing to provide us with the intelligence information we need to flush out the bad guys. The only way to do this by convincing the locals you’re going to be sticking around, by setting a date for withdrawal the President is telling the very people whose trust we need we’re not in it for the long hall. No one is going to cooperating with us for the simple reason they know we’re going to leave and the bad guys will still be there… ready, willing and able take revenge on anyone who cooperates with us.

Bottom line Wars don’t end Mr. President, they are either won or lost.

Related

• Searching in Vain for the Obama Magic – Spiegel Online
• The Afghan-Pakistan Solution – Pervez Musharraf, Wall Street Journal
• White House: July 2011 Is Locked In for Afghanistan Withdrawal – CBS News
• Strikingly, Obama’s Afghan Strategy Manages to Repeat Almost Every Single Mistake Made in Iraq – Jeff Emanuel, Red State
• A few more thoughts on Obama’s Afghanistan speech – Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
• On AfPak, is Obama clever or stupid? – John Lewis, American Thinker

Fred Thompson: The War in Afghanistan Has Been Lost

Oh boy, I wish Fred hadn’t gone here but the said truth is someone had to say it out loud…

From the Politico:

Former Sen. Fred Thompson today intensified his party’s criticism of President Obama’s long deliberation over policy in Afghanistan, announcing that Obama’s delay signals that “the war has been lost” and that nothing the president now does will “make any difference.”

“It really doesn’t matter how President Obama divides the Afghan baby, how he splits the difference between McChrystal and Biden. Because the war has been lost,” Thompson said on his radio show today.  “I say this because of one sad and simple fact. The president does not have the will and determination to do what’s necessary to win it. His heart’s not in it, and never has been. The Taliban knows it. Al Qaeda knows it. Our allies know it. And the American people know it.

“Our enemies are now emboldened and our friends are discouraged. We cannot prevail if the American people are not willing to make the sacrifices necessary for an extended effort. The case has not been made to them to justify this effort. The case can only be made by the president. This president is unable or unwilling to make that case,” Thompson said.

Kathryn Jean Lopez has the audio here.

Ouch… Barack Obama made winning the war in Afghanistan a central part of his Presidential campaign and yet 10 months into term in office he’s still formulating a policy… Unfortunately, I think Sen. Thompson is right, President Obama lacks the temerity to prosecute the war in Afghanistan and is instead voting ‘present’ just as he has done with everything else.

Jim Hanson laid it out months ago Mr. President, wars do not end, they are either won or lost:

The buck stops with you Mr. President, it’s time to make a decision… Do we give our war fighters the resources they need to fight and win or do we cut and run?

Update (5:15 p.m.): Pete Hegseth has a good post over at The Corner that takes Sen. Thompson to task for his remarks:

Let’s go back to an interview Senator Thompson gave on Hannity and Colmes on May 1, 2007:

HANNITY: The biggest battle we have is this war on terror, this battle in Iraq. We have a really deep divide in the country. Senator Reid the war is lost. We still have to finish the job there. Where do you stand in general on the war on terror and, more specifically, in Iraq, and on the divide surrounding Iraq?

THOMPSON: Well, let’s talk about Senator Reid for a moment. Right before I came over here, I was sitting outside, getting a bite to eat, before we did our interview. A young woman [former Army captain] came up and asked if she could sit down and talk to me a minute. . . . I asked her what she thought about this. She said, “How in the world can anyone, any one of our leaders, declare war, declare that the war has been lost when we’ve got troops in the field? My friends are over there in the field. I know what they think about this.”

And, of course, it’s just like all other Americans think. The very idea that they would do this and undercut our efforts over there is unprecedented. And it’s not only unprecedented; it’s awful politics.

We should not be fearful of these people politically. We just need to concentrate on what’s right. What is right? We need to take advantage of any opportunity we’ve got down there. I’ve got a lot of faith in Petraeus. I knew him when he was at Fort Campbell when I was in the Senate. He tells me we’ve got a shot? We’ve got to take that shot.

I’m sure Senator Thompson made many similar comments in 2007, and he was right. Sen. Harry Reid’s statement was unprecedented, and it was awful politics. And if Petraeus says we have a shot, then we’ve got to take that shot.

In light of the above, what is Senator Thompson doing undercutting the mission in Afghanistan? Is the mission less justified? Is it less achievable? Or is McChrystal less capable? No. Senator Thompson’s issue with the Afghanistan mission is President Obama. And while I share many of his frustrations — indecisiveness, lack of will, unwillingness to articulate the need to win — none of them give him, or anyone, grounds to declare the war lost.

I have a lot of respect for Fred Thompson but the more I think about his remarks the less comfortable I am with them…  Pete Hegseth is right, regardless of our frustrations with the President Obama’s lack of action there are just some things that shouldn’t be said while men and women are in harms way.

Weekend Briefing – Saturday, October 10, 2009

I’m going to be tied up with family all weekend but here’s a collection of must read links:

• CBO: Budget deficit hit record $1.4T in 2009 – Associated Press
• Proposals to create jobs add up to second stimulus – Associated Press
• A Nobel for Obama – New York Sun
• Barack Obama’s peace prize starts a fight – Times Online
• McCain Vs. Palin For The GOP’s Soul – Investors Business Daily
• What I Heard in Honduras – Rep. Jim DeMint, Wall Street Journal
• California Budget Is Already in the Red 10 Weeks After Passage – Bloomberg
• Report: Reining in lawsuits would cut deficit – Washington Times
• CBO’s Analysis of the Effects of Proposals to Limit Costs Related to Medical Malpractice (“Tort Reform”) – CBO Director’s Blog
• Save the Greenback, Mr. President – Larry Kudlow, CNBC
• Paying the Health Tax in Massachusetts – Wendy Williams, Wall Street Journal
• CBO Stands for Cooked Books Office – Rep. John Shadegg, Red State
• What happened to global warming? – BBC News
• As Republicans Predict a 2010 Surge, Democrats Dig In – New York Times
• Taliban growth weighs on Obama strategy review – Reuters

Feel free to add your links in comments.

Michael Yon: Don’t Kid Yourselves; we’re in Serious Trouble in Afghanistan

Michael Yon has spent more time in Iraq and Afghanistan than any other journalist. His dispatches from the front lines are required reading for anyone who wants to know what’s happening at the pointy end of the war on terror so when  he say we’re in serious trouble you should pay attention:

The Greatest Afghanistan War has deteriorated so noticeably that one can now feel the enemy’s growing pulse. Each month it beats steadier, stronger, and in 2010 it will finally be born.

On Sept. 11 in Kandahar, a South African civilian working without security was visibly upset – not at the Taliban but at the police. The 16-year police veteran recounted seeing Afghan police speeding through crowded streets and hitting a bicycle. The rider gymnastically avoided impact while the bicycle was tossed down the road.

The South African, with whom I spent a week in Helmand and Kandahar provinces, said the police never slowed down. “That’s part of the reason the Taliban are gaining ground,” he said. “The police are out there recruiting Taliban.”

I have searched for answers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Along with the more strategic questions (for example, should war be pursued?) are those closer to the shop floor: Are we gaining or losing popular support? Is the enemy gaining or losing strength? Is the coalition gaining or losing strength?

The first answer is a common denominator for the rest.

We are losing popular support. Confidence in the Afghan and coalition governments is plummeting. Loss of human terrain is evident. Conditions are building for an avalanche. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the military commander in Afghanistan, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates are aware of the rumbling, and so today we are bound by rules of engagement that appear insensible.

If you haven’t already done so, read the whole thing.

Related

• Gates Doubts U.S.’s Afghan Strategy – Wall Street Journal
• David Miliband pushes US Administration to back Afghanistan plan – Times Online
• Catch-22 and the long war in Afghanistan – Reuters
• 43 U.S. Troops Have Died in Afghanistan Since Gen. McChrystal Called for Reinforcements – CNSNews.com

Seven Former CIA Directors Ask Pres. Obama to End Criminal Investigation of CIA Interrogators

Seven former directors of the Central Intelligence Agency sent a letter to Pres. Obama on Friday asking him to reverse Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to re-open a criminal investigation of CIA interrogations that took place following the attacks of September 11:

Seven former directors of the Central Intelligence Agency on Friday urged President Obama to reverse Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to hold a criminal investigation of CIA interrogators who used enhanced techniques on detainees.

The directors, whose tenures span back as far as 35 years, wrote a letter to the president saying the cases have already been investigated by the CIA and career prosecutors, and to reconsider those decisions makes it difficult for agents to believe they can safely follow legal guidance.

“Attorney General Holder’s decision to re-open the criminal investigation creates an atmosphere of continuous jeopardy for those whose cases the Department of Justice had previously declined to prosecute,” they wrote.

“Those men and women who undertake difficult intelligence assignments in the aftermath of an attack such as September 11 must believe there is permanence in the legal rules that govern their actions,” the seven added.

The letter was signed by former directors Michael Hayden, Porter Goss, George Tenet, John Deutch, R. James Woolsey, William Webster and James R. Schlesinger.

You can read the full text of the letter here.

President Obama would do well to heed the of advice messieurs  Hayden, Goss, Tenet, Deutch, Woolsey, Webster and Schlesinger… There is no good that can come from opening this can worms.

The President has already banned the use of the interrogation techniques in question and previously declared the CIA personnel who used them after September 11 would not be charged. By allowing Attorney General Holder to continue this ill-advised investigation the President will undermine the ability of CIA officers to to do their jobs effectively. More over there is no guarantee the investigation will remain narrowly focused. There is the very real risk that this investigation may ultimately undermine the ability of this president and his successors to obtain candid legal advice, as lawyers fear they may in turn by scapegoated by a future administration.

President Obama should stand by his commitment to the CIA and end this investigation before it poisons this country for years to come by criminalizing policy differences.

Breaking: New York Residences Raided in Terrorism Probe

Not a lot of details yet but the Associated Press is reporting that law enforcement agents have conducted raids related to a terrorism investigation in New York City:

Law enforcement agents raided residences in New York City on Monday as part of a terrorism investigation, and began briefing Congress about the probe.

New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne confirmed that searches were conducted in the borough of Queens by agents of a joint terrorism task force. He would not discuss the matter further.

Separately, federal authorities started briefing a series of senior lawmakers in Congress about the case.

CBSNews adds a few additional details but information is still sketch at this point.

WCBS TV’s John Slattery reports the federal search warrant spelled out all manner of possible bomb-making components, including powders, gels, TNT, and fuses.

Building resident Assad Niazi told WCBS, “I don’t know [the other residents]. They are roommates – they go to work in the morning, and at night they come back.”

Updates as new details emerge.

Update (8:45 p.m.): Reuters is reporting that the NYPD and FBI raided at least apartments in Queens early this morning one of which was shared by five Afghan men:

New York City police and the FBI raided homes in the borough of Queens early on Monday as part of an investigation into suspected terrorism, focusing on one man who has been under surveillance, officials said.

Authorities searched at least two apartments including one shared by five Afghan men, taking some of them in for questioning, said one man who was questioned.

Members of U.S. Congress briefed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation said there was no imminent danger.

“There was nothing imminent, and they are very good now at tracking potentially dangerous actions and this was preventive,” said Charles Schumer, a U.S. Senator from New York who was among those briefed by FBI officials.

A man who identified himself as Amanullah Akbar, a 30-year-old taxi driver, said the FBI raided the apartment he shares with four other Afghan men at 2:30 a.m. (1630 GMT)

He was brought in for questioning and released and said he had no idea why his home was targeted, adding that he believed one of his roommates was arrested.

According to news reports the focus appears to be on one man who was being watched, authorities grew concerned as he met with people in Queens over the weekend and applied for search warrants late yesterday… The agents were apparently searching for all manner of possible bomb-making components, including powders, gels, TNT, and fuses.

Update II (9:10 p.m.): The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the individual at the center of the investigation may have been trying to obtain materials that could have been used in making a chemical, biological or radiological device:

Authorities executed search warrants and seized evidence early Monday morning at locations in the Queens borough of New York City as part of a terrorism investigation, according to a senior official familiar with the case.

This person said some counterterrorism officials were concerned that the individual at the center of the investigation may have had access to, or an interest in acquiring, materials that could be used for a chemical, biological or radiological device. One aspect of the probe involves whether the person had some contact or connections with suspicious individuals overseas, the official said. He stressed that the investigation was still at its earliest stages.

No wonder they were briefing Congress.

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