Transportation Security Administrator Kip Hawley last week told a House panel that his agency concurs with new suggestions put forth by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to tighten airport security following GAO testimony that its investigators successfully smuggled various bomb making components and liquids through checkpoints at 19 airports earlier this year.
GAO officials told separate House committees last week that they purchased the bomb materials at local stores and over the Internet and then devised ways to conceal the components on their persons and in their carry-on bags. Then GAO investigators successfully smuggled the “components for two IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) and one IID (Improvised Incendiary Device) through TSA checkpoints and onto airline flights without behind challenged by transportation security officers,” Gregory Kutz, managing director for forensic audits and special investigations at GAO, told the House Oversight Committee last week.
Kutz said that in most instances TSA screeners followed appropriate procedures although his investigators demonstrated the ability to bring a banned liquid through the checkpoint by taking advantage of weaknesses in agency policies. Kutz wasn’t allowed to discuss the specific policy weakness due to the sensitive nature of the information.
GAO’s suggestions to TSA include establishing special passenger screening lanes to screen individuals based on risk and those with special needs, introducing more aggressive and random passenger screening measures, and to develop and deploy better technology capable of detecting concealed bomb components.
Hawley said that TSA is “treating very seriously the valuable results and information provided by the GAO,” which will help it improve the checkpoint layer of security. He said that TSA will explore the feasibility of special screening lines for special needs passengers and those who are carrying liquids, gels and aerosols who are not subject to current policies requiring that these substances be limited to 3.4 containers carried inside a single one-quart clear plastic bag.