Mission creep at TSA

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Steven J. Manning" <sjmanning () fymc com>
> Date: November 10, 2009 11:07:33 AM EST
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: Re: [IP] Re:    Mission creep at TSA
> Reply-To: sjmanning () fymc com

> Good morning, Dave.
> For IP if you wish.
>
> You are on point.  One mission cannot be substituted for another  
> just because it appears to be more sophisticated or intelligent.  A  
> few hours of training in a discipline that is indeed very  
> sophisticated, makes the "new" mission just "slick" to those working  
> it.
>
> The age-old, age-old remains.  There is no substitute for good  
> intelligence.  Thus, a question to IP-ers in the know.
>
> First, a question, digressing:  do we not live in the era of  
> ubiquitous information and the ability of hundreds of millions  
> around the world to rapaciously search for it?
>
> The answer to that first question is self-evident for all of us.    
> The question for IP-ers in the know:  how far along is the project  
> to integrate all the various intelligence organizations' worldwide  
> lists of people on terrorist watch?  I would think that a heck of a  
> start, when combined with all the technology that exists to "know"  
> where those people are and/or to recognize them when they appear.
>
> A couple million people in the world know - instantly - that Shaq  
> O'Neil (terrific guy, by the way) just finished his oatmeal.   
> Sufficient?
>
> By the way, the reference to Israeli security at El Al checkins is  
> as much about BEGINNING the security process than BEING the security  
> process.  The seemingly friendly questions those nice people ask the  
> passengers in their interminably long lines are just the top lines  
> on the information search.  The follow ups, while the passenger is  
> still in line and in the air is where the battle is won.  Sometime  
> ago, one of our lawyers was arrested upon landing in Tel Aviv.   
> Appears that he owed the state two years of mandatory military  
> service.  He left Israel with his parents to live in the U.S., thus  
> he did not serve.
>
> He was 2 years old at the time.
>
> Regards.
>
> Steve.
>
> David Farber wrote:
> > Sorry Herb, but assuming they are doing their primary job well,  
> > expanding their
> > mission with the people they have will most likely affect their  
> > primary mission. Also I worry that giving other missions to people  
> > who seem to have search power without legal control will sacrifice  
> > our freedom
> >
> > Dave
> >
> > Begin forwarded message:
> >
> > From: "Lin, Herb" <HLin () nas edu>
> > Date: November 10, 2009 9:06:22 AM EST
> > To: "Brian Sniffen" <bts () evenmere org>, "David Farber" <dave () farber net 
> > >
> > Subject: RE: Mission creep at TSA
> >
> > I agree that the program is an example of mission creep, and that  
> > it’s undesirable (we warn against mission creep in our report too) 
> > .  But I suspect that you’d find most policy makers supportive of  
> > such an expansion of mission, on the rationale that “as long as th 
> > e program is there, we might as well get maximum value out of it.” 
> >   The only real argument against it is that such expansion will re 
> > duce its effectiveness in carrying out its primary mission, but th 
> > at argument is very hard to make when there’s already zero people  
> > caught for threatening aircraft security.
> >
> > If you had an idea about a better way to make that argument, I’d l 
> > ove to hear it.
> >
> > From: Brian Sniffen [mailto:bts () evenmere org]
> > Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 9:00 AM
> > To: Lin, Herb; David Farber
> > Subject: Mission creep at TSA
> >
> > The mission creep described is not the new tools, but the ends to  
> > which they are put:
> >
> > >    Last year, officers nationwide required 98,805 passengers to  
> > > undergo
> > >    additional screenings.  Police questioned 9,854 of them and  
> > > arrested 813.
> > >
> > >
> > > The article goes on to cite multiple incidents of people arrested  
> > > for various
> > > crimes but NOT ONE was mentioned that had anything to do with  
> > > aircraft security.
> > >
> > > I have to wonder how long before TSA is also detaining deadbeat  
> > > dads and three-strikes
> > > parking ticket offenders....
> >
> >
> > Under the TSA mandate, this is not a 1:100 ratio of successful  
> > captures to bothered passengers, but 0.  But under they're new and  
> > easier job of general law enforcement, they can claim these arrests  
> > as successes.
> >
> > Archives        
>
> --
> Steven J. Manning
>
>
> Artifex Virtus
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