[Infowarrior] - TSA Exposed Its Undcover People

[Richard Forno]

TSA Exposed Its Undcover People
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-TSA-Tip-Off.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 2, 2007

Filed at 2:21 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Transportation Security Administration touts its
programs to ensure security by using undercover operatives to test its
airport screeners. In one instance, however, the agency thwarted such a test
by alerting screeners across the country that it was under way, even
providing descriptions of the undercover agents.

The government routinely runs covert tests at airports to ensure that
security measures in place are sufficient to stop a terrorist from bringing
something dangerous onto an airplane. Alerting screeners when the undercover
officer is coming through and what the person looks like would defeat the
purpose.

But that's exactly what happened on April 28, 2006, according to an e-mail
from a top TSA official who oversees security operations.

In an e-mail to more than a dozen recipients, including airport security
staff, the TSA official warned that ''several airport authorities and
airport police departments have recently received informal notice'' of
security testing being carried out by the Department of Transportation and
the Federal Aviation Administration.

The e-mail from Mike Restovich, assistant administrator of TSA's Office of
Security Operations, relayed an alert that described a couple who were
testing security. The woman is white but has ''an oriental woman's picture''
on her identification card, it stated. ''They will print a boarding pass
from a flight, change the date, get through security (if not noticed) and
try to board a flight and place a bag in the overhead.''

Because the pair had altered the date on a boarding pass, the e-mail
advised: ''Alert your security line vendors to be aware of subtle
alterations to date info.''

The TSA inspector general is investigating the incident, and the agency
would not discuss details of the case because it's part of an ongoing
investigation.

TSA spokeswoman Ellen Howe said, ''We are confident in the overall integrity
of the program. Tip-offs are not a systemic problem because we do so much
testing.''

Lawmakers are asking for more details on the incident as well.

''Any effort to undermine the integrity of covert testing of TSA's screening
checkpoints is unacceptable,'' Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., wrote in a
letter Thursday to TSA Administrator Kip Hawley. Thompson chairs the House
Homeland Security Committee.