Obama stands by controversial air security screening methods

[Jetboogieman]

Lisbon, Portugal (CNN) -- President Barack Obama stood by new controversial screening measures Saturday, calling methods such as pat-downs and body scans necessary to assure airline safety.

Speaking at a NATO press conference in Lisbon, Portugal, the president called the balance between protecting travelers' rights and their security a "tough situation."

Per the new rules, travelers may be subject to full-body scans at 400 such machines in 69 airports nationwide. Those who voluntarily opt out -- as well as those who set off a scanning machine or a metal detector -- are subject to a pat-down. Some travelers have likened the pat-downs to groping.

The president said such methods are needed after what happened December 25, 2009, when Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab of Nigeria allegedly boarded a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit with a bomb hidden in his underwear. Abdulmutallab reportedly failed to set off the bomb, which metal detectors didn't detect, though his attempt led to airport screening procedures that have caused a holiday travel uproar.

"At this point, the Transportation Security Administration, in consultation with our counterterrorism experts, have indicated to me that the procedures that they've been putting in place are the only ones right now that they consider to be effective against the kind of threat that we saw in the Christmas Day bombing," said Obama.

Ok Obama. You lost me here. You're actually suggesting that I'm gonna be safer travelling as long as some security dude can touch my balls.

**** that.

You're telling me that there's not one TSA agent that's gonna get a ****ing stiffy from feeling up me, or my mom or anybody else for that matter, it's ****ing rediculous and indefensible.

Since when did it become Ok to say

"you've bought a plane ticket, now bend over, and we're gonna get to do with you what we want".

No son of a bitch is touching my junk.

All your howling during the campaign about how bad it was under Bush in terms of personal privacy and you're defending this rubbish.

 

[theangryamerican]

The safety and well-being of America cannot be assured until the powerful Hand of the Government rests firmly upon the genitals of the entirety of it's people.

 

[Diogenes]

The safety and well-being of America cannot be assured until the powerful Hand of the Government rests firmly upon the genitals of the entirety of it's people.

Shades of 1984!! :lamo:lamo:lamo

 

[Deuce]

Remember how I'd always say "I voted for change and I got Bush III?"

This is what I'm talking about. For 9 years now we've been slowly forced to accept more and more harassment and intrusion from the agencies who are supposedly there to protect us. And we keep accepting it. I've talked to co-workers whose response is "well, it keeps us safe."

What? That's it? No questions? Jesus, people. The TSA has virtually no oversight. Congress gives them everything they want because to do otherwise is to give your opponent the "OPENED THE DOORS TO TERRORISTSSSSS" attack ad. And we've gone along with it. People who vote against the TSA get voted out of office. The sole senator to vote against the PATRIOT act got voted out of office.

The really sad part? The terrorists who hate us probably don't even care about airplanes anymore. They've done the damage there, they're switching to other tactics. Mailing bombs via UPS costs them almost nothing, but we're going to end up with massive mail screening procedures I bet. Then what? They blow up one bus, and suddenly the TSA is at every intercity bus hub.

My future travel predictions:
Naked, handcuffed, and sedated. Don't think it wont ****in happen.

 

[Councilman]

If it's not written on the teleprompter Obama can't respond.

Israel has a system that works but because we have allowed the Liberals and their political correct BS to take over we have to put up with Janet Napolitano's please touch me in places non Homosexuals would never touch me in policies.

 

[Kernel Sanders]

The president said such methods are needed after what happened December 25, 2009, when Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab of Nigeria allegedly boarded a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit with a bomb hidden in his underwear. Abdulmutallab reportedly failed to set off the bomb, which metal detectors didn't detect, though his attempt led to airport screening procedures that have caused a holiday travel uproar.

To play devil's advocate, if the TSA were to end the pat-downs tomorrow what would stand in the way of a repeat of the Christmas Bomber?

 

[topshelf]

President Obama could use some advice from a late 20th century philosopher...

"if every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right”.
- George Costanza

I think it applies.

 

[MaggieD]

If it's not written on the teleprompter Obama can't respond.

Israel has a system that works but because we have allowed the Liberals and their political correct BS to take over we have to put up with Janet Napolitano's please touch me in places non Homosexuals would never touch me in policies.

Israel's level of security isn't feasible for the U.S. in the big picture, although some of it would make sense. El Al's security protocols add about $77 to the cost of a ticket for its 1.3 million/year plane trips. U.S. security procedures add $7.80 to the cost of a ticket for its 735 million/year plane trips.

What would it cost for the U.S. to get Israel-level airport security? | FP Passport

One tier of their security protocol is to pressurize all luggage 'to altitude' to guard against bombs that are designed to explode at altitude. I like that a lot. Their baggage screening:

•Swabs are taken of carry-on luggage and examined using hi-tech bomb sniffers
•Hi-tech liquid explosive detecting devices on passengers’ personal belongings both check in and carry-on
•Checked luggage is stored in a secure room that's constantly guarded by El Al personnel
•All baggage and cargo also go through a decompression chamber on the ground (simulates pressure in the cargo compartment during flight to test for bombs set to go off at high altitudes)

http://aviationknowledge.wikidot.com/aviation:el-al-the-world-s-most-secure-airline

 

[Deuce]

To play devil's advocate, if the TSA were to end the pat-downs tomorrow what would stand in the way of a repeat of the Christmas Bomber?

You mean the type of attack that has failed twice because the chemicals mixed to make the explosive are too sensitive to mix properly in coach class on an airliner?

Nothing. Of course, that's about what stands in the way now. The scanners wouldn't pick up that crotch pouch.

 

[randel]

Ok Obama. You lost me here. You're actually suggesting that I'm gonna be safer travelling as long as some security dude can touch my balls.

**** that.

You're telling me that there's not one TSA agent that's gonna get a ****ing stiffy from feeling up me, or my mom or anybody else for that matter, it's ****ing rediculous and indefensible.

Since when did it become Ok to say

"you've bought a plane ticket, now bend over, and we're gonna get to do with you what we want".

No son of a bitch is touching my junk.

All your howling during the campaign about how bad it was under Bush in terms of personal privacy and you're defending this rubbish.

if he put an end to the screenings, and someone got through and blew up a plane, then he would hear how he didnt do enough to prevent it...a lose lose situation

 

[theangryamerican]

To play devil's advocate, if the TSA were to end the pat-downs tomorrow what would stand in the way of a repeat of the Christmas Bomber?

This statement makes it sound as though the TSA successfully prevented the first incident...

 

[Harshaw]

To play devil's advocate, if the TSA were to end the pat-downs tomorrow what would stand in the way of a repeat of the Christmas Bomber?

Probably the same thing that prevented it last time.

 

[Harshaw]

Oh, they've lost SNL.

Saturday Night Live - Message from TSA - Video - NBC.com

 

[apdst]

Remember how I'd always say "I voted for change and I got Bush III?"

This is what I'm talking about. For 9 years now we've been slowly forced to accept more and more harassment and intrusion from the agencies who are supposedly there to protect us. And we keep accepting it. I've talked to co-workers whose response is "well, it keeps us safe."

What? That's it? No questions? Jesus, people. The TSA has virtually no oversight. Congress gives them everything they want because to do otherwise is to give your opponent the "OPENED THE DOORS TO TERRORISTSSSSS" attack ad. And we've gone along with it. People who vote against the TSA get voted out of office. The sole senator to vote against the PATRIOT act got voted out of office.

The really sad part? The terrorists who hate us probably don't even care about airplanes anymore. They've done the damage there, they're switching to other tactics. Mailing bombs via UPS costs them almost nothing, but we're going to end up with massive mail screening procedures I bet. Then what? They blow up one bus, and suddenly the TSA is at every intercity bus hub.

My future travel predictions:
Naked, handcuffed, and sedated. Don't think it wont ****in happen.

You voted for an ultra-Liberal president and that's exactly what you got.

Profiling is illegal and that's the way you want it. It's profling to target an African Muslim, whose name is on the no-fly list and paid for a one-way ticket, with cash and didn't have any luggage. That wasn't enough evidence for them to decided that he didn't need to board an aircraft. Instead, they insist that if they had played with his sack for a few minutes, they would have caught him red-handed.

 

[Jetboogieman]

You voted for an ultra-Liberal president and that's exactly what you got.

Profiling is illegal and that's the way you want it. It's profling to target an African Muslim, whose name is on the no-fly list and paid for a one-way ticket, with cash and didn't have any luggage. That wasn't enough evidence for them to decided that he didn't need to board an aircraft. Instead, they insist that if they had played with his sack for a few minutes, they would have caught him red-handed.

How do you knew Deuce voted for Obama?

 

[apdst]

To play devil's advocate, if the TSA were to end the pat-downs tomorrow what would stand in the way of a repeat of the Christmas Bomber?

The 9/11 hijackers were all on the terrorist watch list; bought tickest under their real names and were in the country illegally.

Fewer pat-downs and more due diligence, perhaps?

 

[apdst]

How do you knew Deuce voted for Obama?

Gimme' a break! Ok?

 

[Jetboogieman]

Gimme' a break! Ok?

So was that...

I know he did?

Or I don't know he did?

 

[Deuce]

You voted for an ultra-Liberal president and that's exactly what you got.

Profiling is illegal and that's the way you want it. It's profling to target an African Muslim, whose name is on the no-fly list and paid for a one-way ticket, with cash and didn't have any luggage. That wasn't enough evidence for them to decided that he didn't need to board an aircraft. Instead, they insist that if they had played with his sack for a few minutes, they would have caught him red-handed.

No, it's racial profiling to target someone for having brown skin.

I don't think I've ever heard a liberal speak out against psychological profiling or behavioral profiling.

Obama isn't ultra-liberal. You, and many conservatives these days, are just incapable of telling the difference between "I think we should keep the feds involved in education" and "COMMUNISM FOR ALL! MUAHAHAH!"

Oh, they've lost SNL.

Saturday Night Live - Message from TSA - Video - NBC.com

Was SNL ever on the TSA's side!?

 

[apdst]

No, it's racial profiling to target someone for having brown skin.

I don't think I've ever heard a liberal speak out against psychological profiling or behavioral profiling.

Obama isn't ultra-liberal. You, and many conservatives these days, are just incapable of telling the difference between "I think we should keep the feds involved in education" and "COMMUNISM FOR ALL! MUAHAHAH!"



Was SNL ever on the TSA's side!?

You wanted a system, that picks on everyone and doesn't make anyone feel like they've been singled out, because of whatever. The only way to do that is to select 7 y/o American boys for random strip searches, so we can say how PC we are and how we treat everyone equally.

Well, you got exatly what you asked for. So, stop bitching about it.

 

[Harshaw]

Was SNL ever on the TSA's side!?

"They" is the administration.

 

[Travelsonic]

if he put an end to the screenings, and someone got through and blew up a plane, then he would hear how he didnt do enough to prevent it.

There is a difference between opposing, and wanting to end, particular types of screening and ending ALL screening - the FORMER being what the opposition of these pat downs and body scanners are, and the latter being a convinient straw man that started out as a simple misunderstanding but seem to be increasingly used by Pistole and their ilk to slander those opposed to the patdowns and body scanners.

WE. DON'T. OPPOSE. HAVING. SCREENING. IN. GENERAL.

We just oppose the un-necessarily intrusive and un-effective.

[And last I checked, one could oppose particular methods of screening and still support having some form of screening in place]

 

[MaggieD]

There is a difference between opposing, and wanting to end, particular types of screening and ending ALL screening - the FORMER being what the opposition of these pat downs and body scanners are, and the latter being a convinient straw man that started out as a simple misunderstanding but seem to be increasingly used by Pistole and their ilk to slander those opposed to the patdowns and body scanners.

WE. DON'T. OPPOSE. HAVING. SCREENING. IN. GENERAL.

We just oppose the un-necessarily intrusive and un-effective.

[And last I checked, one could oppose particular methods of screening and still support having some form of screening in place]

Travelsonic, what kind of security do you want to see for people wearing burqas? Other flowing clothing. When they refuse to go through body scanners? Bombs don't have to contain metal, so metal detectors aren't enough. What's your pleasure?

 

[American]

Geraldo interviewed the former head of El Al security. He said the scanners is all bull**** and a waste of money. He said trained security and profiling is the answer. That means concentrating on those individuals that come from countries that hate America.

 

[Kal'Stang]

Geraldo interviewed the former head of El Al security. He said the scanners is all bull**** and a waste of money. He said trained security and profiling is the answer. That means concentrating on those individuals that come from countries that hate America.

Which includes racial profiling. Weather you think it really is or not you can be damn sure that lots of people will look at it that way. Also the Israeli aiport security will generally wave through other Israelies but will stop pretty much everyone else and question them at length and will give them a physical screening. Something which many in this thread seemed to be opposed to...and yet I've already seen a few of them say that they wouldn't mind Israel's type of security here. (or words to that effect anyways) How ironic.