John Pistole, TSA Chief, Defends Much-Criticized Security Techniques

WASHINGTON — The head of the Transportation Security Administration says the close-quarter body inspections causing a furor among some passengers and pilots are unavoidable in a time of terrorist threats.

John Pistole tells CBS's "The Early Show" he understands public distaste for more intense security procedures, particulary hand pat-downs. He called it a "challenge" for federal authorities and airport screeners.

But Pistole said the attempted bombing of a U.S. bound plane last Christmas and the effort to ship packages with bombs to this country on cargo planes more recently makes tougher security necessary. He said Friday, "The bottom line is, we're trying to see that everybody can be assured with high confidence that everybody else on that flight can be properly screened."

Comments

[Paul Finley]

08:54 AM on 11/22/2010

It will stop being a joke when one get around the pat down and a plane is in harms way again, the pkgs found should have been warnings they are serious about commiting this act,so we must be serious in defending our freedoms at any cost!

[tangenjill]

05:10 AM on 11/22/2010

Beware police state...giving up your rights

[montestruc]

03:12 PM on 11/21/2010

This guy should be indicted under the following statute:

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/civilrights/federal-statutes

"Title 18, U.S.C., Section 241
Conspiracy Against Rights

This statute makes it unlawful for two or more persons to conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person of any state, territory or district in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him/her by the Constitution or the laws of the United States, (or because of his/her having exercised the same).

It further makes it unlawful for two or more persons to go in disguise on the highway or on the premises of another with the intent to prevent or hinder his/her free exercise or enjoyment of any rights so secured.

Punishment varies from a fine or imprisonment of up to ten years, or both; and if death results, or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years, or for life, or may be sentenced to death."

[orbs]

10:18 AM on 11/21/2010

Just think...if we didn't interfere and corrupt every government we can get in our back pockets so we can steal local people's resources for ourselves...

we'd have no worry of being attacked. Meaning, the TSA as we know it today, would not exist.

In other words...lets stop shooting ourselves in the foot...mmmmk?

[Weirdwriter]

01:53 AM on 11/21/2010

Why doesn't the TSA institute the same methods as Israeli security? Anyone?

[G Dobbs]

03:38 AM on 11/21/2010

Chertoff doesn't have that as a client?

[Majorbob53]

08:11 AM on 11/21/2010

I've heard this discussed. One main reason is sheer volume of flights. The Israeli's practically have an in-depth interview with each passenger before screenings. That method would be incredibly impractical here. While Ben-Gurion airport is busy, it doesn't come close to JFK, Atlanta, Chicago, LA etc. And because of our "hub" system in the US, long flight delays due to enhanced interviews would cascade across the system. And interviews sometimes are counter-productive and wasteful. An example: I was travelling on official Air Force business; I was in Uniform, had official orders; my birth certificate; my military ID (w/photo), driver's license (photo) and a diplomatic passport (photo). I went thru the screenings but then I was pulled out of line because my name popped up on a "watch list." I have a very common first name and a relatively common last name. I was held and questioned for over 70 minutes. Even a phone call to my boss (a Colonel) wasn't enough. Needless to say, I missed my flight. The TSA finally relented only after spending tax dollars to pay for 2 meals, a hotel room and taxi fare.

[lelabet]

09:16 AM on 11/21/2010

Thank you for finally explaining this. While I am disgusted by the new screening procedures, everyone seems to think this is an easy alternative. There ARE other ways, but not just one other way. We are a creative country, and we can do better. (And before anyone berates me for exaggerating or not knowing what I'm talking about, I HAVE experienced the new procedures personally.)

[DomainDiva]

04:54 PM on 11/21/2010

I do not agree. DeGaulle, Frankfurt and Berlin have as much traffic and all three of those airports have the interview process in place. The USA is the only country using archaic methods that assume everyone is a terrorist.

Your bad experience was due to improperly trained morons not the interview system.

[pkafin]

05:45 PM on 11/20/2010

This will not last long. Think, for a moment, how will the TSA respond to a suit brought in court for something that is clearly egregious touching? Some security dude will do something that everybody knows is over the line. Then the TSA will have to make some rules about how long someones junk may be handled. Then, they will need a monitoring and enforcement schema to make sure that nobody is groping anybody beyond some specified amount of time. There will have to be more people or cameras employed simply to monitor the security people and their junk handling... it's a rabbit hole.

[G Dobbs]

03:40 AM on 11/21/2010

Ugh, that Shanahan TSA fellow is facing underage rape charges - so I guess he's off duty at present, but yeah, sounds like some of these folks are already crossing lines (not following their awesome procedures I suppose). So lots of lawsuits we taxpayers get to pay for being molested. Its the circle of life...

[dsbathome]

04:09 PM on 11/20/2010

What next - are TSA Screeners going to demand someone remove and show them their colostomy bag?

[Mirabai305]

11:41 PM on 11/20/2010

Apparently, they're already doing that. Urostomy bags too.

[G Dobbs]

03:41 AM on 11/21/2010

That's truly horrible - they're also checking insulin pumps and grandmas artificial hip with lots of scrutiny - because we know thats the most likely source of a terrorist bomb....

[marleysghost]

03:00 PM on 11/20/2010

This is now just an excuse to "feel up" innocent men and women. A terrorist with any brains can get around this idiocy. Since airlines and the tourist industry depend on people's willingness to fly no matter how embarrassing the security measures, my answer is: If you don't have to fly somewhere, don't. Withhold your money from the travel industry. Stay home, or drive to your destination. Ask yourself, "Is this trip REALLY necessary?" If not, don't book that flight. If air travel dropped off significantly and the airlines started to lose money, and Disneyland got fewer visitors, you can bet they would change things. And because of these measures, Osama binLaden has won, because he has struck terror into the very heart of America. This the new America, the land of the fearful and timid, and we have the failure of American foreign policy and the insistence that we meet every threat with force, to thank for it.

[Weirdwriter]

01:49 AM on 11/21/2010

Or you could just walk through the scanner.

[NEBRES]

01:02 PM on 11/21/2010

I am a breast cancer patient. If I walk through the scanner, it will automatically kick me out because of my prosthesis. Or, I could not wear the prosthesis and it will kick me out because the two sides don't match. In any case I am facing an embarrassing and intrusive pat down (grope) whether or not I walk through the scanner.

[Ranaldo]

10:28 AM on 11/20/2010

Meanwhile the ports are wide open and the gov't worried about someone lighting their underwear on fire.

America needs to wake up and try harder--and smarter--if it expects to survive.

[rougebaisers]

10:18 AM on 11/20/2010

America needs to hit the airlines, who are the reason this criminal activity exists at all, where it hurts, in their pocketbook and profits. Unless I am going to leave this country, I REFUSE TO FLY. As long as these sexual assaults are taking place, I WILL NOT FLY. I refuse to be subjected to this treatment, and so should every American. Long lines and delays from opting out is not the answer, hell it is simply job security for the thugs who work for the TSA. No, EMPTY AIRPORTS would be the clear message that would change this madness overnight. REFUSE TO FLY AS LONG AS THIS CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT OF AMERICANS CONTINUES.

[cresudek]

05:09 AM on 11/20/2010

I would object to both the full body scan and the pat down and I am not a terrorist. I am not going to blow up the plane or try and take it over and crash it somewhere.

Terrorism is meant to make us scared in our daily lives and that is exactly what they have done to us. So by subjecting ourselves to this awful measures, they have won.

Don't try to paint me as anti-American, because I'm not. If we have to live our lives in fear, they accomplished exactly what they wanted to accomplish.

[RegLib2]

04:03 AM on 11/20/2010

The long lines at security checkpoints and Americans meekly submitting to ineffective, nonsensical Security Theater absurdities is what happens when a nation lives quivering in fear.

To state the blatantly obvious, the objective of terrorism is to terrify. No removal of shoes, no disposal of liquids, no body scan, no pat-down has revealed a single terrorist attempt. Not one.

The only effect of it all is to hand an enormous victory to the terrorists.

[idonthinkso]

02:23 AM on 11/20/2010

it's time we the people should actualy form a more perfect union. or a collective bargaining unit. or a class action law suit. "don't touch my junk" is a good rallying cry but it's one guy. who's going to be audited for the next 5 years. no, this is a job for THE MASSES. we need to join and organize and petition our civil servants (aka our senators and congresspersons) and launch class action law suits and create friction. but only if we unite.

[evekendall]

01:12 AM on 11/20/2010

"Cancer surviving flight attendant forced to remove prosthetic breast during pat-down"
Nov 19, 2010

http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13534628

[G Dobbs]

03:44 AM on 11/21/2010

That's horrifying!

[dsbathome]

09:07 PM on 11/19/2010

TSA - Tits - Scrotum - Ass

[AZreb]

10:46 AM on 11/22/2010

Perfect!