Toner and ink cartridges over 16 ounces will be prohibited on passenger aircraft in both carry-on bags and checked bags

[Pepper]

DHS:

UPDATE

DHS

Statement by Secretary Napolitano on Increased Security Measures

Release Date: November 8, 2010
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

"Following the thwarted terrorist plot last week to conceal and ship explosive devices on board aircraft bound for the U.S., the Administration took a number of immediate steps to increase security by tightening existing measures related to cargo bound for the United States.

Some of the steps that have been taken by the Department of Homeland Security included adapting inbound cargo targeting rules to reflect the latest intelligence and ordering a ground halt on all cargo coming from Yemen. In addition, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John S. Pistole and a team of TSA inspectors visited Yemen to meet with government security officials and to assist in enhancing Yemen’s security procedures, which are necessary to eventually lift the ground halt on cargo.

Late last week, TSA directed industry carriers to begin implementing additional precautionary security measures for international flights inbound to the United States. These measures take effect today. Specifically, the ban on air cargo from Yemen will continue and has been extended to all air cargo from Somalia as well. In addition, no high risk cargo will be allowed on passenger aircraft. Toner and ink cartridges over 16 ounces will be prohibited on passenger aircraft in both carry-on bags and checked bags on domestic and international flights in-bound to the United States. This ban will also apply to certain inbound international air cargo shipments as well. Further, all cargo identified as high risk will go through additional and enhanced screening. These measures also impact inbound international mail packages, which must be screened individually and certified to have come from an established postal shipper.

The Administration is also working closely with industry and our international partners to expedite the receipt of cargo manifests for international flights to the United States prior to departure in order to identify and screen items based on risk and current intelligence. We are also working with our international and private sector partners on the expansion of layered detections system including technology and other measures.

As always, the safety and security of the American public is our highest priority. The threats of terrorism we face are serious and evolving, and these security measures reflect our commitment to using current intelligence to stay ahead of adversaries—working closely with our international, federal, state, local and private sector partners every step of the way. We encourage our partners, as well as our citizens, to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement authorities."

###






"I wish I could gain weight like Janet...."



Jan Incompitano says,"....the system's working!"

[Valin]

Pepper

 

 

 

There is a line from a talk that Thomas PM Barnett (

) gave a while ago (I paraphrase) Be glad the shoe bomber didn't put the bomb up his butt....otherwise....(use your imagination )

[Pepper]

This does not make you feel safe traveling.

 

Instead of profiling toner cartridges, how about stopping all outbound shipments from areas where AQ is known to operate? How about stopping all exports from those nations? How about profiling bombers?

 

FYI

 

PETN is difficult to detect. And it doesn't take 16 ounces of PETN to blow up a plane. You can search and get different answers but 80 to 100 gram of PETN will either flatten a house at least blow up a car.

 

The Shoe Bomber had 50 grams on him (1.7 ounces). The Underwear bomber had 80 grams on him (3 ounces)

 

28 grams to the ounce

1 quarter is slightly less than 6 grams

5 quarters weigh almost exactly one ounce or 28 grams

[Pepper]

Pepper

 

 

 

There is a line from a talk that Thomas PM Barnett (

) gave a while ago (I paraphrase) Be glad the shoe bomber didn't put the bomb up his butt....otherwise....(use your imagination )

 

 

Thanks for that reminder link from http://www.ted.com/ I have had it bookmarked before.

 

 

Brisbane Times

 

True toll of terrorism bleeding the West

November 6, 2010

 

 

We have been here before. The man who is believed to be the master bomb maker for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, prepared the so-called ''underpants'' bomb attack. He again resorted to the PETN-syringe combination when he readied a young Nigerian, whose attempt to detonate his device was foiled as the flight on which he travelled neared Detroit on Christmas Day last year.

 

Earlier last year, Asiri ghoulishly recruited his own brother to act as a suicide bomber - apparently the PETN, which is difficult to detect electronically, was concealed in his rectum.

 

As a reward for his claimed redemption as a terrorist, the bomber was invited to a Ramadan dinner hosted by Mohammad bin Nayyif, a senior figure in the Saudi regime. Offering his host a mobile phone, the bomber told him that others would come across if they heard words of assurance - but the making of the call detonated the device, killing the bomber but only wounding his Saudi host.

 

[Stella]

Here we go again. Even though most of us have never taken a toner or ink cartridge on a plane, we will be totally inconvenienced and treated as criminals. Meanwhile, men and women in burkhas will be waved through the lines to be politically correct.

[Pepper]

Stella

 

New flights will feature no toner cartridges, no shoes and no underwear.

[nickydog]

Pepper!

[Stella]

Stella

 

New flights will feature no toner cartridges, no shoes and no underwear.

 

One day I was at Chicago's O'Hare waiting for my husband to go through security. What I observed was a young blond woman, with a baby and a toddler being pulled out of line by the TSA to be thoroughly checked and all her things being pawed through.

 

Next they went after a white haired woman who looked to be in her 80's. They made this terrified woman stand with her arms stretched out so she could be thoroughly wanded. Now, I guess she will have to have her underwear patted down, too.

 

Meanwhile, scary looking men with full beards and anyone wearing a burkha was waved through security.

 

btw, my husband learned the one crime never to be tolerated. He forgot to put a small tube of hydrocortisone ointment in a ziplock bag. Not only was he harassed but they proceeded to put him on the no fly list. It took Mark Kirk's office (he was our representative) 3 times to get him off of it. This meant that he had to get to the airport a minimum of 3 hours before every flight so they could hassle him for being on the list.

[Pepper]

Meanwhile, scary looking men with full beards and anyone wearing a burkha was waved through security.

 

btw, my husband learned the one crime never to be tolerated. He forgot to put a small tube of hydrocortisone ointment in a ziplock bag. Not only was he harassed but they proceeded to put him on the no fly list. It took Mark Kirk's office (he was our representative) 3 times to get him off of it. This meant that he had to get to the airport a minimum of 3 hours before every flight so they could hassle him for being on the list.

 

 

Stella. When you think it can't get worse as in waiving through the bearded, it does or in the case of the eeeeeeeevvilllll ointment, you think it can't get any more wacky, it does.

I am surprised it took Mr Kirk only three times to get your husband off the suspect list.

 

 

 

It's working!

[Pepper]

Stella

 

[Stella]

Stella

 

 

 

Good one, Pepper!