Airport Dry Runs Worrying Terrorism Officials

Several incidents in the last year are causing heartburn for anti-terrorism officials fearful that a new attack on an airliner could be at hand:

WASHINGTON - Airport security officers around the nation have been alerted by federal officials to look out for terrorists practicing to carry explosive components onto aircraft, based on four curious seizures at airports since last September.

The unclassified alert was distributed on July 20 by the Transportation Security Administration to federal air marshals, its own transportation security officers and other law enforcement agencies.

The seizures at airports in San Diego, Milwaukee, Houston and Baltimore included “wires, switches, pipes or tubes, cell phone components and dense clay-like substances,” including block cheese, the bulletin said. “The unusual nature and increase in number of these improvised items raise concern.”

Security officers were urged to keep an eye out for “ordinary items that look like improvised explosive device components.”

The TSA bulletin describes the four events as follows:

• San Diego, July 7. A U.S. person — either a citizen or a foreigner legally here — checked baggage containing two ice packs covered in duct tape. The ice packs had clay inside them rather than the normal blue gel.
• Milwaukee, June 4. A U.S. person’s carryon baggage contained wire coil wrapped around a possible initiator, an electrical switch, batteries, three tubes and two blocks of cheese. The bulletin said block cheese has a consistency similar to some explosives.
• Houston, Nov. 8, 2006. A U.S. person’s checked baggage contained a plastic bag with a 9-volt battery, wires, a block of brown clay-like minerals and pipes.
• Baltimore, Sept. 16, 2006. A couple’s checked baggage contained a plastic bag with a block of processed cheese taped to another plastic bag holding a cellular phone charger.

If these were in fact dry runs for a future attack, it tells me that the plans do not include hijacking an airplane as in 9/11, but simply in blowing one up in the air. The loss of life would still be terrible, but not what we saw on 9/11.

I hate to say it, but it would be extremely easy to get a liquid explosive by the TSA officials at the airport. How do I know? Last month I flew with my family up to Northern California. All liquids carried on the plane are supposed to be under 3 1/2 ounces and have to be put in a see-through baggie when they're run through the X-ray machine.

I had a bottle of LectricShave which unfortunately was over the limit, but because I played by the rules and put it in the baggie, the Feds got it. I occurred to me later that I could have easily put that plastic bottle in the large front pocket of my shorts and nobody would ever have known. The metal detector certainly wouldn't have picked it up, and because the pockets on my shorts are very deep, you couldn't have seen the bottle protruding through from the outside. Unless they pat searched me, I could have walked right through. I'll bet a lot of stuff gets onto planes that way.

I'm glad the TSA made the discoveries listed above, but I fear there are still far too many ways to get contraband on airplanes if someone is really determined.