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--> --> Security at our airports deserves a second look The Fresno (Calif.) Bee March 9 The government is poised to spend $2.5 billion on airport baggage screening machines that the Federal Aviation Administration's own airport security experts say often don't work. That decision deserves a second look. Bogdan Dzakovic, one senior member of FAA undercover "red teams" that tested airport security systems, charges that he and other testers were able to foil the bomb-detection devices before Sept. 11 with "regularity and ease." Speaking at a press conference last week in support of new legislation to strengthen whistle-blower protections, Dzakovic said his FAA bosses ignored his warnings and in some cases ordered him not to issue reports about security failures at some of the nation's biggest airports. Those same bosses, he claims, have been put in charge of the Transportation Security Agency, hastily established in the wake of last September's terrorist attacks. That the security systems at airports were inadequate, and that those responsible for it them were less than diligent, are indisputable. Sept. 11 proved that in the most painful way possible. The real value of Dzakovic's revelations is in the guidance it may offer as the government scrambles to shore up airport security. At minimum, the allegations ought to give pause to federal transportation officials who are rushing to deploy bomb-detecting equipment at the nation's biggest airports by the end of the year. Dzakovic is not the only expert to raise questions about the adequacy of the devices. While the actual detection rate is a government secret, Defense Department officials who've tested the equipment have told Congress that the machines are far from fail-proof. It is unclear whether failure rates are a function of the machine, human error or both. ... Error prone or not, the devices may be the best technology currently available. The terrorist threat may be so great that the government has no choice but to deploy them. Still, the doubts raised by people who know the most about airport security shouldn't be ignored. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing