Newark airport screeners spot --then lose--fake bomb (Amsterdam found it)

[Khephra]

Maybe legal pot makes you paranoid enough not to lose important things...say like BOMBS!

:evilgrin:

(strange, but my experience has been the opposite.... ;-) )

NEWARK, N.J. -- Baggage screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport spotted _ and then lost _ a fake bomb planted in luggage by a supervisor during a training exercise.

Despite an hours-long search Tuesday night, the bag, containing a fake bomb complete with wires, a detonator and a clock, made it onto an Amsterdam-bound flight. It was recovered by airport security officials in Amsterdam when the flight landed several hours later.

"This really underscores the importance of the TSA's ongoing training exercises," said Ann Davis, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, the agency responsible for screening passengers and baggage for weapons and explosives. "At no time did the bag pose a threat and at no time was anyone in danger."

The incident at Terminal C was only the latest embarrassment for federal screeners at Newark Liberty International, one of the airports from which some of the Sept. 11, 2001 hijackers took off.


http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-nj--fakebomblost1215dec15,0,6519295.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

[progressiveBadger]

1. No danger?

What about the poor sap that could have gotten a cavity search when he got off the plane because he had a fake bomb in his luggage?

[chuckrocks]

2. same?

is this the same block of c4 that got lost in france? heard it on npr the other day. weird

[uncle ray]

4. it sounds different

but funny, how the OTHER bomb just faded from news. i don't think they ever found it.

[rkc3]

3. "This really underscores the importance of the TSA's ongoing training

exercise."

She should have finished the sentence - "because when your recruitment pool is limited to former Wal-Mart greeters, continuous re-training is required."

[OldLeftieLawyer]

5. Yeah, but ...........

....... don't you disrespectful Commies forget that we here in Murrica are safe from all those evil old ladies carrying plastic explosives and boxcutters in the underwire of their bras, trying to get on their flights to see the grandchildren.

(this is sarcasm)

[HockeyMom]

6. JFK and LaGuardia

Don't know about Newark, but the NY Airports fired hundreds of TSA Screeners last year. Local papers carrying ads for PRIVATE security guards for both JFK and LaGuardia. High School Graduate OR one year security experience for top dollar of $13/hour. Obviously, Newark must have done the same.

[yellowcanine]

7. I feel much safer with Bush in charge - how about you?

The TSA is part of Homeland Security, correct? So we should all be really safe, following the logic of the Bush voters.

[TahitiNut]

8. From the same people who brought us "Star Wars" ...

... where the 'incoming' missile must be scheduled and contain a homing device for the 'shield' to work even occasionally, we have an airport 'security' system that can't even find baggage devices they've packed themselves! These people are so damned stupid and arrogant they can't even be aware of their own incompetence.

[snippy]

9. Those wacky republicans in complete control of our government

sure are doing a bang up job. I suppose Bush considers this to be just another catastrophic success.