Official Who Created TSA Now Wants To “Dismantle” It

Like it or not, the TSA, or Transportation Security Administration, is what we have to deal with in a post-911 America.  But the lawmaker who was behind it's creation is not happy with it and wants to completely remake it.

Rep. John Mica (R-Florida) who was insturmental behind it's creation, recently spoke with the commentary website Human Events, says the agency is essentially NOT what he had in mind when it was created.  Mica had hoped it would be patterned after the Israeli anti-terrorism model adopted by El-Al, their Middle Eastern Airline.   Mica wanted more of a behavioral interaction program, where the TSA agents would be carefully instructed in how to interact with passengers and spot suspicious behavior.  He says the Israeli model has been very successful in screening passengers.  Now, the only real interaction is for passengers who are believed to be a threat based upon what is in their luggage, or TSA officials believe they warrant additional checking.  Mica, along  with reports from the GAO (Government Accounting Office) and Judicial Watch, say the numerous failures of the 60,000 person force include allowing illegal aliens to clear as pilots and work in sensitive areas of airports, allowing illegal weapons to slip thru security, and numerous agents who have been prosecuted for stealing from passengers as well as drug and other charges.  Mica also says TSA is bureaucratically heavy, with 7,000 supervisors and over 3500 administrators who make over 100k a year salaries.  Mica says the hundreds of millions spent on TSA have been wasted, he favors dismantling the arm and privatizing airport security.   Of the hundreds of real or potential terrorism threats or plots that have been broken up by the US, Mica says they have been the result of US Intelligence (CIA, FBI etc); Mica says no significant terrorism threats have been thwarted by the TSA.  And to add 'comfort' to his argument, Mica says the GAO report indicates TSA has even lost track over the years of numerous missing or 'lost' TSA uniforms-imagine what a terrorist could do with one of those. We have seen numerous incidents in the Middle East perpetrated by terrorists wearing Iraqi or Afghan police or security uniforms.