Airport Security Fails to Catch Bomb Components

While the rest of us have been struggling to survive air travel without our precious liquids and gels, federal investigators managed to sneak liquid explosives and detonators through airport security, according to a Government Accountability Office report issued Wednesday.

The investigators simply googled what they needed, went out and bought the items and then walked right through the Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.

A TSA spokeswoman says the screening checkpoints are but one of 19 layers of security. So we shouldn’t worry that they fail to stop bombs from going through?

NPR:

Government investigators smuggled liquid explosives and detonators past airport security, exposing a dangerous hole in the nation’s ability to keep these forbidden items off of airplanes, according to a report made public Wednesday.

The investigators learned about the components to make an improvised explosive device and an improvised incendiary device on the Internet and purchased the parts at local stores, said the report by the Government Accountability Office. Investigators were able to purchase the components for the two devices for under $150, and they studied the published guidelines for screening to determine how to conceal the prohibited items as they went through checkpoint security.

At the end of the testing, investigators concluded that terrorists could use publicly available information and a few cheaply available supplies to damage an airplane and threaten passenger safety.

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