TSA Wants Traveler Cooperation on Security

John S. Pistole, administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) offered a balanced view of the current controversy over airport screening procedures asking for the understanding and cooperation of the traveling public.

Pistole said the TSA welcomed feedback and comments on the screening procedures from the traveling public and said “and we will work to make them as minimally invasive as possible while still providing the security that the American people want and deserve.”

“We are constantly evaluating and adapting our security measures, and as we have said from the beginning, we are seeking to strike the right balance between privacy and security,” Pistole said. “ In all such security programs, especially those that are applied nation-wide, there is a continual process of refinement and adjustment to ensure that best practices are applied and that feedback and comment from the traveling public is taken into account. This has always been viewed as an evolving program that will be adapted as conditions warrant, and we greatly appreciate the cooperation and understanding of the American people.

“We cannot forget that less than one year ago a suicide bomber with explosives in his underwear tried to bring down a plane over Detroit,” Pistole continued. “The terrorists allegedly behind the thwarted cargo attempt last month are out there bragging about how they will strike again. We all wish we lived in a world where security procedures at airports weren't necessary but that just isn't the case.”

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