The Dec. 25, 2009, attempted bombing of flight 253 raised questions about the federal government's ability to protect the homeland and secure the commercial aviation system. This statement focuses on the government's efforts to use the terrorist watchlist to screen individuals and determine if they pose a threat, and how failures in this process contributed to the Dec. 25 attempted attack. This statement also addresses the Transportation Security Admin.'s (TSA) planned deployment of technologies for enhanced explosive detection and the challenges associated with this deployment. Charts and tables.
The Dec. 25, 2009, attempted bombing of flight 253 raised questions about the federal government's ability to protect the homeland and secure the commercial aviation system. This statement focuses on the government's efforts to use the terrorist watchlist to screen individuals and determine if th...