The Transportation Security Agency was under heavy fire after a new report revealed that a number of US airports had hired dozens of people with links to terrorism.
The TSA is already reeling after a recent Department of Homeland Security report found that investigators could sneak fake bombs and weaponry easily through security with a 95 percent success rate.
Homeland Security Inspector General John Roth discussed before lawmakers his new report, which found the TSA failed to detect at least 73 people with links to terrorism who were hired by US airports.
By law, the TSA had “limited oversight” over the hiring process, and thus “lacked assurance that it properly vetted all credential applicants,” the report stated.
Roth added that the law needed to be changed to “give the agency access to all relevant information,” including FBI terrorist watchlists.
Becky Roering, an assistant security director at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, told the hearing that former “badged” employees had even gone to Syria to join the Islamic State militant group.
During the same hearing, a TSA official criticized a program to pre-check passengers either randomly or because they have been given “known” or “trusted traveler” status, and are deemed to pose a low risk.
“TSA is handing out ‘PreCheck’ status like Halloween candy in an effort to expedite passengers as quickly as possible,” Roering said.
Over a million people have signed up for TSA’s PreCheck program, and another seven million have been randomly chosen for expedited boarding checks.
In one case, a former member of an extremist organization was randomly given access to the PreCheck line, but a TSA worker recognized him and alerted his supervisor.
Roering mentioned TSA staff have “low morale” and typically work in a climate of fear and distrust.
Last week, Homeland Security heard Jeh Johnson announced new measures to improve security screenings at American airports after investigators were able to smuggle mock explosives and weapons through checkpoints multiple times.
Johnson reassigned Melvin Carraway, the TSA’s acting head, and replaced him with another interim director, Mark Hatfield. (With reports from AFP)
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