XPost: dc.politics, sac.politics, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh   
   XPost: alt.society.labor-unions   
   From: organized.crime@cnn.com   
      
   Earlier this year, TSA failed undercover security tests at   
   airports across the country at a rate of 95 percent. As a   
   reminder:   
      
   An internal investigation of the Transportation Security   
   Administration revealed security failures at dozens of the   
   nation’s busiest airports, where undercover investigators were   
   able to smuggle mock explosives or banned weapons through   
   checkpoints in 95 percent of trials, ABC News has learned.   
      
   The series of tests were conducted by Homeland Security Red   
   Teams who pose as passengers, setting out to beat the system.   
      
   According to officials briefed on the results of a recent   
   Homeland Security Inspector General’s report, TSA agents failed   
   67 out of 70 tests, with Red Team members repeatedly able to get   
   potential weapons through checkpoints.   
      
   In one test an undercover agent was stopped after setting off an   
   alarm at a magnetometer, but TSA screeners failed to detect a   
   fake explosive device that was taped to his back during a follow-   
   on pat down.   
   It should be noted that after this failure, President Obama   
   expressed full confidence in the agency.   
      
   "The President does believe the American people should feel   
   confident in traveling airports all across the country because   
   there are security measures in place to protect the traveling   
   public," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said at the   
   time. "The President does continue to have confidence that the   
   officers of the TSA do very important work that continues to   
   protect the American people and continue to protect the American   
   aviation system."   
      
   Five months later, things at TSA haven't improved, weapons are   
   being smuggled onto planes, many layers of security are non-   
   existent and morale among employees is in the toilet.   
      
   According to Homeland Security Inspector General John Roth, a   
   second round of testing in September 2015 shows TSA is still   
   missing major security breaches.   
      
   "In September 2015, we completed and distributed our report on   
   our most recent round of covert testing. The results are   
   classified at the Secret level, and the Department and this   
   Committee have been provided a copy of our classified report.   
   TSA justifiably classifies at the Secret level the validated   
   test results; any analysis, trends, or comparison of the results   
   of our testing; and specific vulnerabilities uncovered during   
   testing. Additionally, TSA considers other information protected   
   from disclosure as Sensitive Security Information. While I   
   cannot talk about the specifics in this setting, I am able to   
   say that we conducted the audit with sufficient rigor to satisfy   
   the standards contained within the Generally Accepted Government   
   Auditing Standards, that the tests were conducted by auditors   
   within our Office of Audits without any special knowledge or   
   training, and that the test results were disappointing and   
   troubling," Roth said during testimony in front of the House   
   Oversight Committee Tuesday. "We ran multiple tests at eight   
   different airports of different sizes, including large category   
   X airports across the country, and tested airports using private   
   screeners as part of the Screening Partnership Program. The   
   results were consistent across every airport. Our testing was   
   designed to test checkpoint operations in real world conditions.   
   It was not designed to test specific, discrete segments of   
   checkpoint operations, but rather the system as a whole. The   
   failures included failures in the technology, failures in TSA   
   procedures, and human error. We found layers of security simply   
   missing. It would be misleading to minimize the rigor of our   
   testing, or to imply that our testing was not an accurate   
   reflection of the effectiveness of the totality of aviation   
   security."   
      
   TSA receives $8 billion in federal dollars each year. In April,   
   TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger was appointed by President   
   Obama to take over the agency. He was confirmed in July.   
      
   https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2015/11/04/surprise-   
   tsa-is-still-sucking-terribly-n2075370   
      
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