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Ahmed Shehata
UWRT 1102
Instructor: Fran Voltz
3 November 2014

The Amplified Security Post September 11th


Is it Worth It?

I can vividly recall trying to wrap my little mind around what my teacher was trying to
tell us about what had happened. It was as if my nave, young mind could not imagine people
doing such an awful thing. The horrible attack of 9/11 is a day that will be ingrained in our
memories forever. Now, imagine standing in the airport today, hearing the beeping and ringing
of all the security screeners; and waiting in the endless lines to board your flight. Many people
did not realize the amount of work and money that goes into keeping everyone safe as they board
and travel on an airplane until September 11th 2001. That day changed history forever. It altered
the way American citizens feel about traveling on aircrafts and has caused great controversy
about the subject. Creating a debate on whether or not the amplified airport security that we are
now functioning on is actually keeping Americans safer and where America will go in the future.
Most importantly however, it has made American citizens aware of the dangers of flying in
airplanes and now we are inquisitive to why.
After September 11th a new transportation security team was put in place called
Transportation Security Administration (TSA). It was formed in November 2001 and has created
numerous changes in the way airport security is operated. Since its creation the agencys motto

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has been Never Again meaning an attack such as 9/11 would never happen again if the TSA
could control it. Before the September 11th attack occurred less than five percent of all bags that
went through the airport were screened. By December of 2002 it was required that every single
bag in the airport be screened before the boarding of the passengers. It is evident that even after
this small change was made it was only the start of what we are used to today.
By the TSA continuously adding new guidelines once risky attempts have occurred is
almost as if they are working in reverse towards their main goal. When we go to airports today
the guidelines are very clear. Most know the hours of preparation waiting in an airport entails
before boarding their flight. Lorna Thackeray, who is on the Billings Gazette staff, wrote about
these procedures that so many passengers are now discussing themselves. It is now mandatory to
remove your shoes and have them scanned as well as limiting your liquid container size to
3.4ounces each. Both of these guidelines were put in place after two other threatening attempts
were made while trying to board a plane. Along with this in 2009 Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab
attempted to board a plane with a bomb in his underwear; therefore, resulting in the full body
scanners that are now found in most airports across America (Thackeray). To me it seems this is
and will be an on-going process that appears will never end.
Kip Hawley, who was the former administrator of the TSA and worked with the
Department of Homeland Security promotes the new airport security measures that are in
operation. He believes that since September 11th Americans as a whole are undoubtedly safer
than they were prior. He claims that the security system that was in place before the tragic attack
was as system that relied on compliance, regulation, and enforcement and a model that with
deadly adversaries would be easily over powered by the enemy, which has been proven true.

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Never again has become reality, but as new terror threats emerge, security officials have to
adjust defensive measures to stay ahead of looming attacks, stated Kip Hawley (Airport
Security).Thus, meaning that the TSA has modified their system to ensure that their mantra will
not be broken. With the new security system that the TSA is functioning on, it allows for
flexibility and unexpectedness in many daily routine events. There are many days when K-9units
are brought through the airports as well as undercover marshals looking for any suspicious
activity. Along with this the TSA has set up a No Fly List for potential threatening passengers
(Airport Security). According to Dr. Joshua Sinai, who is an expert on counterterrorism, says,
One of the best lines of defenses in aviation security is the "No -Fly" list (Sinai). They also
have employed Behavior Detection Officers (BDO) whose jobs are to talk with passengers to see
if any abnormal behavior is displayed in conversation that may possibly be threatening to all that
are boarding a flight (Airport Security). Personally I believe that these extra security measures
are the tactics that have kept America safe for 11 years now. Knowing this I now realize that the
TSA has gone to extensive lengths to provide these additional security techniques and they often
are overlooked by the general public.
Take into consideration, the Behavior Detection Officers that are fairly new to the TSAs
security app roach. The use of BDOs started out as a pilot program in Boston Logan
International Airport, otherwise known as BOS, in 2011. All Behavior Detection Officers went
through thorough classroom and on the job training that enhanced their communication skills, as
well as equipped them with the knowledge they needed to be alerted when suspicious behavior
may have occurred. Their jobs were to converse with passengers at security checkpoints and if
any wary behavior was identified to send those individuals to additional screenings immediately.
Christopher McLaughlin, who is the assistant administrator of the Office of Security Operations,

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states, Extensive research indicates behavior analysis and interviewing are effective methods for
detecting hostile intent and potential high-risk individuals (McLaughlin). Since the pilot
program at BOS began over 160 other airports across the United States have implemented this
tactic. As the BDOs have been on the job, a new campaign called See Something, Say
Something has been executed. It gives the right to passengers to be on guard for threatening
situations and if they hear or see anything that is alarming they are to alert authority officials
immediately (McLaughlin). It seems to me that this security tactic is one that appears to be
promising. I believe that through conversation you can learn a great deal about a person;
however, are all these airport security measures completely necessary to protect American
citizens?
Bruce Schneier, who is a security technologist and is often referred to as the security
guru claims that the post September 11th security measures are unnecessary and are not what
America needs to stop possible future terrorist attacks. Schneier believes that the security system
that the TSA is now using is one that catches the amateur terrorists. According to him a terrorist
who is well funded, highly educated and has a thorough plan will not be caught by the system.
Schneier states, The TSA's policies are based on looking backwards at previously tried tactics,
it fails against professionals (Airport Security). He believes that the TSA is enacting rules based
off the past and considering there are a multitude of possible plots and tactics that a terrorist can
make it is practically impossible to predict their next move.
Bruce goes on to say that the TSA catches those individuals who are sloppy with their
attempt to commit a crime. For example, in December of 2001 Richard Reid was caught
attempting to light a bomb from his shoe while riding on the airplane, which has now resulted in

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the monotonous routine of all passengers having to remove their shoes before boarding. Bruce
Schneiers argument continues by pointing out that the TSA should spend their money in a more
cost-effective manner (Airport Security).
Since September 11th the TSA has spent over 60 billion dollars on their new security
model. Schneier says that the TSA should return to the pre 9/11 security system and use their
annual budget on gaining intelligence, investigation, and emergency response if a possible attack
were ever made again (Airport Security).Others are saying that the money spent on the great
security lengths are not only unnecessary but are unconstitutional to passengers. For instance, the
full body screeners are causing constant controversy. The screeners are called Advanced Imaging
Technology (AIT) and began to be put in airports across America in 2007 (Transportation
Security Perspective 30). These AIT scanners are used to detect any possible weapons concealed
on a passengers body. It is predicted that by 2014 the cost of the Advanced Imaging Technology
scanners will cost over 1.2 billion dollars. According to Mark Stewart and John Mueller, who
wrote Cost-Benefit Analysis of Full-Body Scanners, airports would need to face more than one
attack every two years to prove that these AIT scanners are cost effective. In other words,
meaning that these scanners would need to detect more than one person trying to board a plane
with a weapon on their body every two years to prove that these machines are essential to have in
airports (Stewart).
After reading this information I found it quite shocking that in order to prove the
effectiveness of the TSAs security measures something drastic must happen, meaning that the
efforts that the TSA are making to prevent possible attacks cannot be proven true unless
someone that is attempting to threaten the lives of other individuals on an airplane is caught. This

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statement makes sense. For example, a terrorist cannot verify that their bomb will work unless
they set it off first. In the same respect, the TSA cannot justify that their AIT screeners are
effective unless a terrorist is captured because of one. Even though another terrorist attack
like9/11 is the last thing America wants to experience again.
Along with cost-effectiveness, passengers have also become concerned with the radiation
that is sent through the screeners to depict the image on the screen; due to this the AIT screeners
started to use millimeter wave technology which is a way of the AIT screeners to be less
invasive with the images appearing on the computer (Sinai 36). Passengers are not required to
pass through the scanners if they choose not to; however, they are forced to go through an
alternative pat down. Kip Hawley states, I think the pat down has been the tipping point that has
turned the public against the TSA (Transportation Security Perspective 30).
Contradicting Hawleys claim is a poll that CBS News took in 2010 whose results stated
that four out of every five Americans have no problem walking through the AIT scanners
(Transportation Security Administration 30). After reading various reports on those against the
scanners it appears to me that the vast majority of people do not have a great deal of concern
about them, but the ones who do make their complaints evidently known.
For the past 11 years the United States has been free from another terrorist attack like
September 11th 2001. The TSA has a security system that has been enforced and thus far appears
to be working. Regardless of the amount of controversy that continues on a daily basis it is a
known fact that the American citizens have not had to face another terrorist tragedy since
2001.Considering this many security officials are planning to add another tactic to this security
model.

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The idea of passenger profiling is not a new concept to the airport system. Back in 1994 a
system called CAPPS was introduced, meaning Computer Assisted Pre- Passenger Screening.
Later on CAPPS II was presented which was a system that required passengers to give private
information before purchasing a ticket. When this happened many people were against this and
therefore this system has now been removed from airports; however, two other systems have
been enforced. One is called the Secure Flight Program, otherwise known as the No-Fly list that
was previously mentioned, and the SPOT technique, meaning Screening Passengers by
Observation Technique. Some say the two systems go against our civil rights due to the
programs forcing authorities to create stereotypes looking at past information. For instance,
people say that since the September 11th attacks and due to the terrorists being Arab Muslims
would thus result in more Arab Muslims to be profiled. The SPOT technique is regulated by the
Behavior Detection Officers (BDO), but airports are also investigating with another form of
profiling passengers based off of behavior pattern recognition of individuals (Zalman).
Since experimenting with behavior pattern recognition began it has proven to be a
favorable tactic to airport security. This is a program that is not based off of race, but specifically
on the behavior of passengers. Of course it has not stopped a massive terrorist plot, but it has
allowed officials to be able to detect people who held fake IDs or had drugs in their possession.
Although officials have willingly stated that behavior pattern regulation it is not the key to
identifying all terrorists and that they cannot put together a perfect profile to capture every
possible terrorist. In fact officials state that terrorists could have been trained for years on how to
control their behavior in high stress situations; however, the program is simply another step
towards staying ahead of potential terrorists at every possible angle (Zalman).

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Since the attack I have only been on an airplane one time. I know that passengers have to
arrive at the airport hours in advance of their departure time due to the long waits and numerous
security checkpoints. I realize that unlike me, some people travel on airplanes on a day to day
basis and have to deal with the amplified security changes often. My dad has always stressed that
it is better to be safe than sorry in every possible situation in life. And I feel that this saying can
apply to the airport security debate that is occurring now in America. Some individuals feel that
the added security measures are an expensive hassle and the money could better be put towards
investigation and knowledge to finding possible terrorists. Others believe that without the extent
of the TSAs security measures the United States would not have remained safe for 11 years and
counting. Regardless of both, it is evident that like any other controversy, the debating will
continue. As for me I am not quite sure in which category my beliefs fall into. I can see each side
of the debate as well as the pros and cons to both viewpoints. Ultimately I feel that as long as
America remains safe and free from another terrorist attack everyone wins. As former President
George W. Bush said, On September 11, 2001 America felt its vulnerability even to threats that
gather on the other side of the Earth. We resolved then, and we are resolved today, to confront
every threat from any source that could bring sudden terror and suffering to America(Think
Exist ). In other words, America is devoted to keeping its people safe and if that means
additional security tactics in our airport then we will do whatever it takes to remain strong, safe,
and united as one.

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Works Cited

McLaughlin, Christopher. (2011, September 16). Assessing Airport Security After 9/11. FDCH
Congressional Testimony: Military & Government Collection. Web. 9 October2012
Sinai, Joshua. "New Trends in Airport and Aviation Security." Counterterrorism & Homeland
Security International (2012): 32-36. Web. 31 October 2012.
Stewart, Mark and John Mueller. "Cost-Benefit Analysis of Full-Body Scanners." 20
January2011. Schneier on Security. Web. 31 October 2012.
Thackeray, Lorna. "Airport security transformed by 9/11." 11 September 2011. Billings Gazette.
Web. 31 October 2012.
The Economist Group. "Airport Security." 20 March 2012.The Economist. Web. 31
October2012.
Think Exist . 2012. Web. 3 November 2012
Transportation Security Administration. "Transportation Security Administration." 1
November2012. Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT).Web. 1 November 2012.
"Transportation Security Perspective. "Security Management (2012): 28-31. Web. 1
November2012
Zalman, Amy. "Profiling Passengers Pros & Cons.". Terrorism Issues.Web. 1 November2012.

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