Let's Give Thanks for the TSA

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American Enterprise Institute:

In the coming days, millions of Americans will travel to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. May I pose a novel idea? As we go through the airport screening line, let's stop and say "thanks" to the men and women of the TSA who give up time with their families during the holidays to keep us safe from terror.

In the past few weeks, these patriots have been compared with Big Brother and accused of sexual assault. They've suffered the same kinds of public indignities the Left has heaped on the men and women of the CIA--being accused of engaging un-American and unlawful behavior for doing the difficult and unpleasant work of protecting the country. They deserve better.

Can any of us imagine the debate we've had in recent weeks unfolding in the days immediately following Sept. 11, 2001? Would any of us have objected to the deployment of millimeter-wave scanners had the technology been available then? The current uproar could happen only in a country that has begun to forget the horror of 9/11. Indeed, it appears many in the country have forgotten. A new Washington Post–ABC News poll found that 66 percent of Americans say that "the risk of terrorism on airplanes is not that great." Sixty-six percent.

This just four years after al-Qaeda nearly succeeded in blowing up seven transatlantic flights departing London's Heathrow Airport--with more than 1,500 passengers on board--headed for New York, Washington, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, and San Francisco. This just eleven months after an al-Qaeda operative succeeded in sneaking a bomb onto a plane in his underwear and nearly blew it up over the city of Detroit. This just weeks after al-Qaeda succeeded in getting two package bombs on board aircraft--including passenger planes--that were designed to blow up over the Eastern seaboard of the United States. If we have learned anything about al-Qaeda in the years since 9/11, it is that they are obsessively focused on destroying planes.



We need to be crystal clear: As we gather with our families to carve the Thanksgiving turkey, the terrorists are gathering as well--in caves in Waziristan, Yemen, East Africa, and other fronts in the War on Terror--to plan the next attack. The tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is less than a year away. Al-Qaeda planned to mark the fifth anniversary by blowing up seven planes headed to North America (which is why liquids in carry-on luggage are now required to be in containers no bigger than 3.4 ounces). They may very well be planning something equally spectacular for the tenth anniversary. So when we stop to give thanks for all our blessings this weekend, let's give thanks for the people who spend their days and nights working to stop the terrorists from succeeding--including the men and women of the TSA.

If you travel by plane this holiday weekend, you'll have a chance to do so in person.