TERRORISM: Airport Screeners Lose Fake Bomb

In the second airport training embarrassment this month, baggage screeners at Newark airport spotted and then lost track of a fake bomb being used during an exercise. The realistic-looking device couldn't be found despite hours of searching, and was not removed until the aircraft arrived at it's destination, Amsterdam. Earlier this month, French officials lost track of a bag containing real explosives; the use of real explosives for training has now been banned in that country.



This story highlights the extreme difficulty faced by airport security officials. If they can lose track of a device that they know is there, and has actually been seen, how can the public feel secure about the odds of a real, unexpected device being found and disabled?

The only good news is that the actual screening machine appears to have performed properly; the alarm sounded, but staff still (somehow!) managed to lose track of the bag.

Note that airport officials are still "undecided" on whether or not to discipline anyone. I can help them decide!!

[edit on 16-12-2004 by Banshee]

Gee, I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy now......
How could they possibly lose that? I mean c'mon, the thing was spotted and then lost? How inept is this system?

I thought that something like this just happened in France.
It just goes to show you that no matter how much security
you add or how many rights or privacy you try to take away you will
still have human error which will in the end allow another attack
which will result in only more loss of rights and privacies!!
In creating a larger security force we have just created a bigger
more lethargic monster that has even less chance of working...

geo

Agree 100% geo, but what else can be done?? Doing nothing wasn't really an option, and at least now a terrorist has to plan more carefully and also have a pretty good dose of luck to get away with something like that.