If I ran the world, the money that will go into purchasing these seeing-all machines, training airport security workers in their use and maintaining them when they break down would instead be used for surveillance before these murderers cross into our airspace, much less onto our soil. I’d insist that all the alphabet soup agencies share information, investigate every person on their watch lists, and put dozens more into no-fly categories. I’d feel safer if our security plans were proactive against future deviltry instead of reactive to yesterday’s plots.
The folks in charge of national security have been so ridiculously hesitant to insult that they’ve allowed those with suspect backgrounds access to our airlines, yet de-shoe, de-coat, pat down, unbelt, x-ray and wand toddlers asleep in strollers, the elderly whose last trip to Yemen was never, and yours truly. Finally, after this foiled close call, those hailing from certain countries with terrorist links will have to undergo certain measures. I noticed Saudi Arabia wasn’t on the list. But they are our friends. Except for the 9/11 nineteen.
The time to find those determined to do us ill is not simply in an airplane security line, body x-ray or not, but at the ticket desk when they pay cash and have no luggage. And even before that, like when their fathers walk into an American embassy call to report their sons have become radicalized.
And while I’m on the topic, I wonder about the locution “become radicalized.” AOL recently ran a short piece on those who “got radicalized” as if deciding one day to go off and purchase some radical in the dairy aisle right there next to the milk. These radical Islamists don’t “get radicalized.” They choose to become proficient in murder, mayhem and terror. It’s our job to stop them.
Say what you will about Israelis, they know how to run air security. You don’t mess with those guys. Former military, they are business all the way. They don’t joke with a teenager about her handpainted sneakers (as one airline security guard did with my daughter some years back.) They don’t allow passengers through without matching ticket with identification. And they don’t forget to ask for I.D. upon check-in as one ticket agent did on a recent trip of mine.
In Israel they mean business; there’s not one Israeli who hasn’t experienced the terrorist’s reach. Forget about six degrees of separation. In Israel it’s a hundred degrees of connection. We don’t have the same sense of urgency or familiarity to devastation here in the U.S. I pray we never do. Israelis have a non-partisan approach when it comes to airline security because they understand everyone’s life is on the line.
So now we can’t go to the bathroom for an hour before our flight lands. (How to balance this stricture with the health tip that hydration is important when airborne?) We are not allowed to read a book or have anything in our laps either. And there are those body scans. The best protection is not following a terrorist’s prior plans but stopping him (or her) before they hatch the next one. These scans may very well expose hidden weapons. And those who would do us harm will merely find a new niche to infiltrate.
I know plots have been uncovered and terror cells close to Washington have been neutralized. Perhaps even more than we hear about. But they blew it big with Fort Hood’s Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. Plenty of dots there to be connected. Plain and simple the Islamists despise our country’s freedoms. They will stop at nothing. It is a part of our nation’s very marrow to look ahead to the future. Islamists would deliver us to the 9th century. It doesn’t take x-ray vision to see this. I just wish those in charge of America’s future understood what it takes to clip the wings of those who would destroy us.
Yes I would agree with much of what you wrote but as to the Israeli’s: If only we too in the USA had but one airport to secure and but a FRACTION of the millions of people who visit our country!!!
Debra, hear, hear! I completely concur with everything you’ve said. If so many aspects of our lives can be “linked” such as credit reports, academic transcripts, etc., then why can’t the alphabet soup agencies get their acts together and “link” their sources? This completely befuddles me. Yes, we could learn much from the Israelis, and yes, the powers that be, no matter what their alphabet soup or party affiliation, should be doing their homework learning from those who have been successful in protecting their countries so we can protect our own. Far too much is at stake for our “homeland security” to be taken so lightly.
Granted Israel’s small size plays to her advantage but no reason not to implement some of their measures at one airport and use their tactics as a model. See AOL today on the topic — http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/01/08/airport-security-is-israel-the-answer/?icid=main
I so agree. However, I do wonder if our nation’s vision has been too focused and that the recent events have diverted our attention from other sources of danger. I am concerned not only about the lack of our nation’s proactivity to the dangers of the airways, but that this attention may also be too narrow, leading to the same lack of proactivity to other venues for the terrorists. Airplanes are only one potential source of devastation and destruction. If airlines develop measures to prevent or deter extremists from getting on our planes, then I suspect we will begin to see more car bombings, mall attacks, and other ways to reap death upon our citizens. There are plenty of extremists already within our country who can bring death and destruction on our soil.
Verne,
Thank you for the great comment and so on target. Americans don’t realize that we are the next Israel. They have utterly no idea what potential disasters there are here to create. Thank you as always for reading and for taking the time to add such an important perspective.
We’re off to California on Tuesday. Can’t wait to see my boy!
Love to you both,
Debra Full Body Scam — a post on the latest havoc wreaker
Just published by the URJ Press — Debra’s new children’s book celebrating Jewish diversity — I love Jewish faces — read the excerpt
Liberals want to control my health care and now they won’t let me go to the restroom when I may need to. Soon they will regulate toilet training. 2010 maybe we can drop some from a plane in flight.
Reading the above comment I hesitated to OK it. This was a new reader and the comment was a bit off kilter and off color. And then I realized why the tone sounded familiar. DAD!! welcome to the blog. Thank you for reading. And responding. Anyone wanting to read trenchant analyses of forces at play in the political world, please visit his wonderful blog. There’s a link at the right — Middle East and Other Musings.
And Verne. You are so right. Airplanes are just one target in the terrorist world’s vision. It’s way past time our “defense” was to chase after horses who’ve already left the barn. Time to corral them before they even THINK of doing us ill.
Amen- if only you or any even semi-intelligent people ran our country now… it seems no one in charge these days gets that is not IF we will be attacked again, but WHEN.
I’m with you, Debra. We need to be hugely pro-active on this issue, and to forget the band-aid remedy.
As you pointed out: “…like when their fathers walk into an American embassy call to report their sons have become radicalized.” How did that possibly slip under the radar and why was it ignored??