Israelis Criticize U.S. TSA Policy

This is an interesting read:

The dismembered, mangled remains of three suitcase locks, carefully taped onto printed notices, have to me become emblematic of the state of America's internal security and by extension, unfortunately, that of the entire free world.

And it's nothing to instill cheer in worried hearts. But let me not get ahead of myself.

I recently returned with my daughter from a visit to the US. Our trip home started uneventfully in Denver. We were bound for Toronto, where, so our travel agent imperiously decreed, we'd connect to a direct flight to Israel. Prior to that last leg of the journey, we were called aside by the Israeli security team, who informed us that our checked-in luggage was "tinkered with" in Denver and is "therefore a potential security risk." We were asked to open it, go through everything and make sure that it's all ours, that no one had inserted anything.

We then realized that our cases were indeed unlocked. Inside each we discovered a "notice of baggage inspection" from the Transportation Security Administration - an arm of the US Department of Homeland Security - informing us that our bags were selected in a "search for prohibited items." The screener, the notices elucidated, was "forced to break the locks on your bag. TSA sincerely regrets having to do this. However, TSA is not liable for damages resulting from this necessary security precaution."

It was precisely this precaution that made Israeli security personnel edgy about our bags and, with quintessential Sabra informality, they weren't loath to vent annoyance towards their American counterparts.

"The TSA creates security hazards," they assessed. "There's nothing as vulnerable as unlocked luggage into which anything could be slipped, even by airport employees, whose trustworthiness often goes unascertained for reasons of political correctness."

Full Article: The Jerusalem Post

I agree, I think the TSA needs to rethink it's policies. It could be doing more harm than good with its reckless PC reactionary policy.

Thats the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
How exactly do you suggest the TSA get into locked bags if there is no one to unlock it without busting the lock? I can see the scenario playing out now...
TSA Screener: Holy crap this bag just tested positive for RDX we better open it up and check it out!
TSA Supervisor: Wait a minute this bag is locked. Oh well I guess we're going to have to let it go. You know how much the Israelis hate it when we do our job...

"The TSA creates security hazards," they assessed. "There's nothing as vulnerable as unlocked luggage into which anything could be slipped, even by airport employees, whose trustworthiness often goes unascertained for reasons of political correctness."

I see this one bag that was "tampered" with was a threat but the fifty other bags with no locks on them that where never locked at all arent.

Because everyone knows a terrorist will go out of his way to plant a bomb in a suitcase thats locked rather then just slipping it into to one that was never locked in the first place. We all know how bumbling these terrorist are they like to go for the most blatantly tampered with bag so as to attract the attention of the gallant Israeli security screeners.

If this is a preview of their antiterror tactics no wonder things are always blowing up over there.