On the job at Hobby airport
by David Benzion · 07/10/2006 8:02 amHouston police and the federal Transportation Security Administration disagree over who is responsible for allowing a man with what appeared to be bomb components board an aircraft at Hobby Airport last week. [snip]
… A confidential TSA report obtained by the Houston Chronicle details a dispute between screeners and a police officer on duty at the airport.
The report states that a man with a Middle Eastern name and a ticket for a Delta Airlines flight to Atlanta shook his head when screeners asked if he had a laptop computer in his baggage, but an X-ray machine operator detected a laptop.
A search of the man’s baggage revealed a clock with a 9-volt battery taped to it and a copy of the Quran, the report said. A screener examined the man’s shoes and determined that the "entire soles of both shoes were gutted out."
No explosive material was detected, the report states. A police officer was summoned and questioned the man, examined his identification, shoes and the clock, then cleared him for travel, according to the report.
A TSA screener disagreed with the officer, saying "the shoes had been tampered with and there were all the components of (a bomb) except the explosive itself," the report says.
The officer retorted, "I thought y’all were trained in this stuff," TSA officials reported.
The report says the TSA screener notified Delta Airlines and talked again with the officer, who said he had been unable to check the passenger’s criminal background because of computer problems.
[Hat-tip: Houston Chronicle]
TSA and HPD–
Sleep easy Houston, we got your back!
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It says he had a Middle Eastern Name, not that he was middle eatern. I suppose Richard Reid could get a pass for being middle eastern with an english name.
In our open society we have too many other targets for the terrorists so they don’t have to reuse the airlines. So, sometimes just the appearance of capability is enough to deter terrorists. Or heaven forbid, the war on terror in the Iraq is actually protecting us here. I’ll bet the liberals are worried things are actually working—-which is a disadvantage to them.
every govt agency has a finger to point. none want to fix it. typical govt reaction to your security.
doesnt the chon article make you fell safe when you tuck your children in at night?
this makes me sick.
bob fulton
hockley
b
I’d bet money this guy was just testing the waters for another cell…
That guy is lucky he didnt get caught driving without his seatbelt on or expired inspection. His arse would be sitting in jail right now. Chief Hurt knows how to keep us safe.
#4 I agree just a matter of time
I spent the last few years of my HPD career at Bush IAH. Be afraid! Be very afraid! I went from working at the hard charging Northeast sub-station to Bush, and have not seen incompetence at this level since viewing F troop! I was always worried to get called over by TSA to answer a question, fearing they would use me to blame for something! TSA has the ultimate authority allowing passage into the secured area. The call is theirs to make, legally, since they took over from private security guards. For them to blame HPD is crazy. But for an HPD officer to not raise a stink when something like that happens in front of him (they called him over!) is inexcusable. The officer should’v called his supervisor and airline people over and made a big deal out of it. I could tell a zillion stories that would make you take a bus on your next vacation! Like I once told one of my Sgt’s: “You people just don’t get it. It’s going to take a big smoking hole in the ground for something to get done out here.” That was two weeks before 9-1-1……
Faster, from reading the article the TSA guy wanted the officer to detain the man. The HPD officer apparently had just arrested a box of fresh donuts in the patrol car and needed to get back to them. Read it again.
#4
Agree, I feel it was a recon mission as well.
This is a perfect example of why it is ridiculous to spendtime and effort on the border because we think it will make us more secure. The border is not a security issue. It may be an economic or cultural issue, but not a security issue. We need to be vigilant and protect ourselves from external threats, but as long as we have incompetence like this at our airports, and we can only inspect one out of every one hundred cargo containers that enter our ports, we have very misplaced priorities.
#10 gadboy
That’s bunk.
You’re telling us that an unprotected border that is vehicle accessible (both north and south) with no surveillance is more secure than a port with SOME surveillance, and weeks to determine the manifests that are suspicious?
Did they find a bottle of viagra in the guy’s bags? That’s the real threat!
We need to have HPD review their job descriptions. Apparently TSA can’t arrest the passenger, they only alert HPD on their suspicions and then HPD is there to detain the passenger until a review is done. It should be plain and clear on who is responsible for what duties. Imagine if he had a real explosive about to go off and they were there trying to decide who was supposed to do what! Was the FBI notified?
What would it take for that officer to decide there was probable cause to arrest the man?
Wino-how many of the 911 terrorists swam the Rio Grande to get into the country?
#15 gadboy
Look up “nonsequitur” in the dictionary.
While you’re at it, look up “straw man” as well.
Leaving your door open because the neighbors were robbed by breaking a window is NOT logical. Your argument is similar and just as illogical.
A passenger airliner loaded with fuel is the ultimate weapon for Islamic terroist.
#4 & 9;
I agree with you. You can bet things like this are happening all over our country.
We are well into WWIII with Islamic terroist and our government just seems to have no clue.
Our Government from both sides of the isle should make a declaration of War against these goons and any country that harbors them.
I’m sure the libs would rather wait until we are on the brink of destruction before precise and definitive action (absolute brute force) should be taken against all terroist. Mabey not even then.
rj
#16-I have no idea what that meant. Can you answer the question?
How many and where else was this tried with success?
Wrap him in pig skin and see what he says then. Great thing about muslim interrogation with hog hide is the hog doesn’t mind and it don’t leave a mark for a liberal lawyer to see.
Ever try placing fried pig skins in the seat of theatres or airlines where middle eastern looking people are seated - knowing you got them and when they get ready for their 72 raisins/virgins Alah will tell them you are not clean since you were touched by a hog.
I’m about as conservative as they come and I hate to say this, but as suspicious as this event looks, no laws were broken. The man was apparently not carrying any illegal or banned items. Heck, the digital watch I wear, and the cell phone I carry could qualify as “all of the necessary components for a bomb, except for the explosive”.
Sometimes a duck is just a duck.
If we really want to be paranoid about it, then ban all carry-on items from planes…everything gets checked as baggage, and make passengers change into simple scrubs or jumpsuits with no pockets. What kind of outcry would that cause?
#18 gadboy
That’s because you didn’t look up the words I told you to look up.
Firstly, you are changing the argument in midstream (non sequitur -”A statement that does not follow logically from what preceded it.” Literally, “it doesn’t follow”).
Secondly, you’re setting up an argument you cannot lose, but that does not support your previous statement (straw man - “An argument or opponent set up so as to be easily refuted or defeated.”).
That is bunk. I said it is bunk, and I maintain it is bunk. Your question does not address anything supporting this statement, so I have no need to refute or answer your question, as it does not pertain to the discussion.
If all he lacked is the explosives, he was either 1) a test run, or 2) expecting to pick up the explosives between security and takeoff. That possibly implies there are insiders that could get the explosives to him. There better be an ongoing investigation of that possibility.
#18;
the answer is none.
If i’m wrong, I’ll apologoise
rj
You guys apparently don’t get this! These airport “cops and screeners” are SOOOOO smart! I believe that their plan all along was to let him go so that the good guys on the other end of his flight can follow him and get the rest of the conspirators/terrorists/insiders, the munitions suppliers, the place where he got the 9-volt battery and clock and shoe cobblers who hollowed out the shoes. They could bring them all down at once.
Well, at first thought that sounded like a good explanation. Upon furter review, maybe NOT! We’d have to assume that the Keystone cops on the other end could determine who the suspect was upon his arrival, find their patrol car, know where the keys were and had ample gas to follow the suspect and do the surveylance. Plus, know what to do when they got there! They could always call Houston and ask for directions!
Unbelievable!!!!!!!
#20 Strongbow: I guess that….
He had the clock to tell the time because his watch was broken.
The 9 volt battery was for his son’s transister radio.
The hollowed out shoes were just for comfort.
The laptop that he said he didn’t have was to watch DVD’s.
Ya think?
Some times a duck is NOT a duck.
moderator,
Thanks! and I do apologize,… for my spelling.
rj
Why did he deny he had a laptop in his bag when in fact he did? That should make anyone a little suspicious. He should at least have been checked out for deceiving the screener.
# 19 No Higher Tax
#19 No Higher Tax
Is this what you do for fun? Or was it an attempt at some very bad racist humour?
The thing is, there is a HUGE probem with overlapping jurisdictions. HPD enforces local and state law. TSA catches, but cannot arrest for violation of Federal laws. ****The guy did not break any laws the HPD officer could arrest for.**** TSA could have had HPD detain and call for FBI to come out there. The problem lies with HPD management for NEVER defining what the hell the officer’s jobs are in the first place! I know, I worked for those idiots! They have so many law enforcement and private security companies running around out there that nobody has ultimate authority. Feds can’t enforce local laws, local officers cant’t enforce federal laws. Private security can’t do squat but get on the phone and hope they get the right agency!
HPD never trained for any kind of events at the airports EVER! Only one training exercise was conductted when I worked there, and it was or the FBI. HPD is too cheap to spend the money to train properly and too scared to take charge.
#25
I carry an alarm clock when I travel. Guess what, it is in my carry-on.
Spare battery for the clock? strange place to carry it, but hey….
Hollowed out shoes? No trace of explosive residue or other banned materials….great place to hide money and credit cards when walking unfamiliar areas.
The laptop thing is the most confusing part of this whole thing, unless there was some kind of language issue…no comment in the article on that point.
Logical possible explanations for each item element.
So far, nothing illegal, therefore no grounds for HPD to arrest or detain…though TSA does have authority to detain pending further investigation. I ought to know, following a near strip search due to a knee brace I wear.
FBI has already stated this is a non-event; so the “experts” agree that while suspicious, there is nothing actionable here.
Quack, quack…until proven otherwise.
#31:
I KNOW it’s NOT been PROVEN BUT…Use a little common sense. Middle easterner with
a laptop which he said he didn’t have, alarm clock with battery attached. (Do you attach batteries to your alarm clock?) and hollowed out shoes which have already been shown/proven as a place where terrorists hide explosives. Remember the middle-eastern guy that was caught on the plane trying to set his “shoes on fire” and was later discovered to have explosives inside his hollowed out shoes? He just couldn’t get them lit! Did they check out the laptop that he said he didn’t have to see what was on it? (E-mail contacts, correspondence etc.)
How many people do you know that hollow out their shoes to carry their valuables when they travel? Not many I bet! I don’t know of ANY.
I can just see see/hear it now. A man walking down the street and the crook pulls a gun and says, “This is a stick up give me your shoes!”
IMHO Your logical possible explanations (save the alarm clock) don’t hold much water.
The cops couldn’t check this guys background because of a computer glitch? I wonder if they have that problem solved as yet and what they found? Pretty incompetent on the part of the airport folks I believe.
I got the total runaround/complete search of body and baggage once for having a fingernail file! And they let this guy pass? Unbelievable.
The FBI ” experts” could be stating this to be a non-event just to have the guy drop his guard down so they could catch him and the rest of the people involved if any. Is that plausable? If I were the cops, I’d have someone competent on the other end of his flight tailing this fellow and finding out what he was what he wasn’t up to.
Mooo! Mooo! Arf! Arf! …We’ll have to wait and see!
OK… so what do we have?
A couple of weeks ago a guy gets on a plane. If we were to use the “p-word,” we’d say he fit the pr*file of a terrorist, right down to his hollowed out shoes.
Then, we “let him go.” Two weeks later, this story comes up. Why now?
Maybe they’ve actually done some police work, and have been following Ibn Wareen Halloshuus and detailing his acquaintenances. They need them to get a little antsy, maybe, and speed up their plans for (whatever), hoping they make more mistakes, and they can grab them now.
Nahhh…. The cops wouldn’t be smart enough to do that.
Like they did recently in Miami.
TATP can be made from (and data has been intercepted indicating that the jihadis have been experimenting in this area) from nominally off the shelf chemicals. TATP is the same explosive that Richard Reid had in his shoes. It is concievable that the precursor chemicals were in someone else’s carry on luggage masquerading as shampoo or nail polish remover etc. They may have been planning to synthesize it on the plane in the restroom. TATP is very volitile and can explode during manufacture which would not be that big a deal for this situation since the intent is destruction of the aircraft anyway, they might not get a chance to fly it into something but they’d probably be willing to settle for just taking out the aircraft.
#34
i asked my wifes relative to contact you - let me know when he does. he is the pres of the county treasuries for the state of texas and met with some folks at the harris county offices before the county judges court.
we have had many discussions on this topic and he is very involved in saving the county treasury position thruout the state.
i do know he does spend some time in austin on this topic.
bob fulton
hockley
bob fulton
hockley
Thanks Bob, I’ll keep my ears and eyes open for him.
I would love for a tv crew to have a guy walk through an airport all dressed up like an Arab. Robe and all. And have wires and electrical stuff hanging out of his robe.Dropping matches and alarm clocks. LMFAO. And film the reactions of people trying to be PC and not insult him. See if the cops leave him alone!RLMFAO. This could be a F’n riot!
Gregg
#37
You, my friend, are one sick puppy!
#38 Neocon
No, he is a genius!
Ok! A sick genious!
Not really! We love ya man! You missed your calling! Gregg should have been a writer for one of the late night talk show hosts! You’d made a fortune! IMHO Plus, he could have still posted on his off time on LST! We would have had the best of both worlds!