Janet Napolitano: TSA Screening With Full-Body Scanners, Pat-Downs Not Likely To Change In Near Future

WASHINGTON — The use of full-body scanners and invasive pat-downs at airports around the country will not change for the "foreseeable future," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in an interview broadcast Sunday.

While saying that she is always looking to improve the security systems in place, Napolitano added that the new technology and the pat-downs were "objectively safer for our traveling public."

Napolitano dismissed a recent news report about major airports failing secrets tests designed to get contraband such as guns and knives past security screeners. The report said some airports had a 70 percent failure rate.

"Many of them are very old and out of date and there were all kinds of methodology issues with them. Let's set those aside," she said on "State of the Union" on CNN. "We pick up more contraband with the new procedures and the new machinery."

Napolitano defended the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, who didn't know about a roundup of terrorist suspects in Britain when asked about the arrests on ABC News earlier this week. The gaffe created an awkward moment for the man in charge of the nation's intelligence community.

Napolitano and President Barack Obama's homeland security adviser, John Brennan, appeared on the show with Clapper. They said Clapper had been preoccupied with handling problems on the Korean peninsula and passage of a nuclear weapons treaty with Russia.

Napolitano said in the CNN interview that homeland security officials were fully aware what was happening in Britain.

"Well, let's be fair," she said. "I knew. John Brennan knew ... So one of the things I think that should be very clear to the American people is that those of us in homeland security who needed to know, we knew."

Officials have said that Clapper hadn't been briefed on the headline-making arrests before being interviewed on ABC News.

Comments

[wassilij]

10:15 AM on 12/30/2010

nuff said.......

http://www.prisonplanet.com/mother-kept-in-glass-cage-for-almost-an-hour-by-tsa-for-resisting-over-breast-milk.html

[BeasleysMom]

02:07 PM on 12/29/2010

So, what do you suggest we do?

[LINY01]

01:35 PM on 12/28/2010

Napolitano admits airport scanners don't work, only real benefit is to "scare" terrorists.

an ABC report, Crowley said, “There are some major airports who had a 70 percent failure rate at detecting guns, knives, bombs, that they got through in your tests…. So how good can it be when you have major airports with a 70 percent fail rate?”

Napolitano dismissed those results as old and questionable and said, “Let’s set those aside.” One of the real successes of the machines and procedures, Napolitano said, is that they discourage terrorists from even trying to get on planes.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46836.html#ixzz19QtalPTM

[pooka]

06:00 PM on 12/27/2010

Michael Chertoff is benefiting from this. Our stimulus money is paying for it, and incredibly, Deepak Chopra benefits, too. Chopra is CEO and president of OSI Systems which owns Rapiscan, the subsidiary that manufactures the back scatter x-ray scanners. Rapiscan--an ironic choice for a name. Enforced nudity? Enforced radiation, even if you've had cancer?

Deepak Chopra writes copiously on physical well-being and spiritual awareness and makes millions running popular workshops. His website describes him as "A global force in the field of human empowerment." Why then, is he promoting and profiting from such a violation of the person? Our stimulus money was used to purchase the machines. As we are being treated like criminals, if we the people need to fly, we enrich Michael Chertoff and Deepak Chopra. We are captives.

A month ago, a teenaged boy hid in the wheel well of a jet in North Carolina. Predictably, he died at high altitude and fell to earth near Boston. The story got scant press--especially regarding how he could stow away without discovery by the TSA. How did he get so close to the plane without security clearance, or does that happen all the time? If a person can hide in the wheel well of a jet, what else can be hidden there? Why are passengers subjected to invasive, unwanted procedures when ground and servicing crews are not?

In this case, the emperor really is wearing no clothes--and neither are we.

[DreamWeaver2nd]

10:09 PM on 01/01/2011

Damn, pooka, right on! Very well stated.

[GlennWatson]

05:02 PM on 12/27/2010

I don't remember seeing President Obama patted down. Are his children checked when they get on Air Force One?

I mean its so hard to tell who a terrorist might be and we should not take any chances right?

[Enroh Mot]

11:09 AM on 12/27/2010

First Shock and Awe now Shock and Paw. Ali had Rope a Dope now we have Grope a Dope

[Cacey]

10:26 AM on 12/27/2010

If ever in my 67 years I've seen a subject on which the public has shown such a volitile fickleness this is it.  Nine years ago, the mass public was demanding that the government keep us safe by any means and regardless of cost.  Today, the mass public (or at least the vocal complainers) are demanding that those systems and programs demanded a few years ago be removed.  Yet stil, they blame the government, or at least this Administration, for all their ills and troubles.
Perhaps we would all be better served by simply letting the flying public decide.  For some reason, part of which is I spent most of my time outside of the US and people have to fly from the US to get here, I hear very few if any complaints from those who are using airports and planes and I suggest the protesters have too much time on their hands.

[richardag]

12:15 PM on 12/27/2010

Wait until porn video or sexual assault of your body becomes a requirement to do your job or even your favorite hobby. The masses were never demanding this crap, but were falsely sold it as a way to be safe. We have it because of record setting lobby efforts by the companies that sell the equipment and by politicians running campaigns based on fear. So feel free to give up your own rights, but I prefer to keep the constitutional rights given me.

[Cacey]

05:39 PM on 12/27/2010

If you actually think either activity is porn or sexual assault, you are one sick puppy.

[Grimmsd]

08:23 PM on 12/27/2010

The security fixes we need are already fully in place.

Re-enforced cockpit doors.
Educated public.

We did not need the porn scanners or TSA molestation. We aren't fickle. I didn't want it from day one. Fewer people are falling for the line that we need to violate people to be safe.

I no longer fly. I don't want a picture of my naked body appearing on the Internet. I do not want TSA agents ogling my body. I do not want a 4th Amendment violating physical search performed on me. I refuse to give up my Constitutional Rights.
It's my right to travel about the country, including by airplane as ruled by the Supreme Court of the United States.
It's my right to avoid unreasonable searches. And a search because I am exercising my right to travel is unreasonable.

Since I am affected by this it is a chilling effect and my Constitutional Rights have been violated even though I have not been searched. The security they are employing is illegal.

[Popples31]

01:47 AM on 12/28/2010

You are REDICULOUS. These TSA agents aren't "ogling" your body. I'm sure it's safe to say, you are probably nothing special to any of them, just like a mass majority of the public. The TSA are doing their JOB. They are TOLD what to do, they do not request to go out and feel anyone up. And the only people who are really complaining about these new procedures, and not thinking of how these people are only trying to HELP, are people who are fixated on everything the media if feeding them. Talk about a bunch of followers.

[Sinister Minister]

10:18 AM on 12/27/2010

How fortunate we are to have found 535 people to fill the seats of congress, that are above reproach, when we live in a country of 300 million people that can't be trusted.

New paradigm. citizens have no right to privacy, but the government has the right to absolute privacy (secrecy) in all their dealings all the time.

[Enroh Mot]

10:22 AM on 12/27/2010

WikiLeak the wicked.

[nfatt1]

10:12 AM on 12/27/2010

They will remain in effect until we stop pissing everyone off, to make a buck.

[runtexas]

10:07 AM on 12/27/2010

I wish the government could make more security decisions for us.

[Enroh Mot]

10:14 AM on 12/27/2010

Secure us from the war profiteers, and the financial swindlers.

[Francesca1953]

09:59 AM on 12/27/2010

For all those worried about adopting measures used by the Israelis....

I flew to and from Israel two years ago...I felt safe and secure without having to go through those types of machines nor having someone's hands down my drawers. The whole process took less than an hour. I'm sure it took that amount of time because, with the training and experience the security employees have, I was not targeted for a more thorough search (at the time I was a 56 year old woman).

What really surprised me was the fact that they knew I hadn't been to Israel in nearly 30 years - before computer technology existed. Actually, I'm not sure why I was surprised....they probably knew what size shoes I wear!

[Enroh Mot]

10:18 AM on 12/27/2010

You should have thrown your shoes at Bibi.

[richardag]

09:55 AM on 12/27/2010

Even if they worked, and they don't, and even if they are medically safe, which they aren't, as long as they only look at 3% of the people who dome through the airport, they still don't make us safe.

[clemmers]

10:07 AM on 12/27/2010

Exactly. Any way they try to argue it, it's a major fail.

[KarasudaJay]

09:53 AM on 12/27/2010

Obama ran as a statist during the campaign, he appointed statists and political insiders to his cabinet, and people are acting surprised.

[Cacey]

10:18 AM on 12/27/2010

What is a "statist"?  Is it some word Beck thought up when he was in a stupor?

[KarasudaJay]

10:31 AM on 12/27/2010

Statism is a political philosophy in which the state has dominant control over the social and economic structures where it is the dominant civil and political authority. Did you really not know this? It's quite common knowledge.

[Noel Confidence]

09:23 AM on 12/27/2010

Just because "Big Sister" says so? I think not.

Show me the law that says I must "comply".

[Cory111]

09:25 AM on 12/27/2010

Try not too then come back and we can talk about it...

[newworldman777]

09:44 AM on 12/27/2010

You don't have to comply, but you won't fly unless you do. Welcome to the new world. We created this mess by implementing and supporting disastrous foreign policies that have detrimentally affected millions around the world, especially in the Middle East. Now, we must deal with the negative fallout, including terrorism. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Get used to it.

[juzcuz]

10:14 AM on 12/27/2010

Of all 2000+ posts here, I do belive your comment is the best & most accurate "newworld'... I still say Georgie Porgie and chain-gang-Cheney are THE weapons of MASS DESTRUCTION we've been looking for all these years. They inflamed Americans, then all those around the world and now we're having to bear the consequences of their lies and deceit.

[MplsStyme]

09:22 AM on 12/27/2010

So I won't be flying. Does the airlines care if I don't fly? I think it's funny how they can just waive away there failures and then say they've captured a bunch of contriband. Is this contriband bombs and weapons or bottles, nail files, pocket knives, and drugs. Way to go, at least your not completely worthless just mostly. I have no fear of terror attacts. Never have, don't belive the hype. I fear driving behind a mini van full of kids, teenagers, or cell phone talking drivers. Rational risk aversion.