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Subscribe to RSSWith the Summer London Olympic Games approaching, London is gearing up to handle pre-show nerves over security.
Agents of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration will be stationed at British airports during the Summer Olympic Games, British media reported Tuesday — the latest indication that authorities are scrambling to shore up security before the games open in 11 days.
M. Alex Johnson is a breaking news and projects reporter for NBCNews.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.Sky News, citing security sources, reported that the agents would begin arriving at Heathrow and other major UK airports next week.
Olympic organizers have come under withering criticism after G4S, the private contractor coordinating security preparations, said last week that it might not be able to supply enough guards. In response, the British military was asked to provide 3,500 extra personnel last week, government sources told NBC News.
"I knew it was going to happen," Sarah Hubble, a former G4S employee, told NBC News. "When I was there, they were struggling and didn't have enough staff."
Errol Southers, who withdrew from consideration to be President Barack Obama's first TSA director in 2010 in a political struggle over unionization of TSA workers, said the Olympics would likely draw would-be terrorists like flies to honey.
"I think that, given the world stage as it is, it certainly sets an environment that is perfect," Southers said in an interview with NBC Los Angeles.
"We have what we call adaptive adversaries," said Southers, assistant chief of homeland security for the Los Angeles airport police. "They'll be looking for patterns, for routines — vulnerabilities and gaps in the security system."
Noting the "extraordinary number of VIPs" who will be at the games, Southers said, "It is a perfect stage for a terror attack if that's your agenda."
Sky News reported that TSA agents were drafted primarily to assist U.S. carriers, but it said the agents would also be working with British airlines.
The agents will not be allowed beyond boarding gates or onto British aircraft, it said.
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Leave a Comment:
Who is going to accept liability when they get past the TSA agents as we know that will happen?
TSA = There's Some Azzholes
With TSA agents the UK has now soldified itself as the official nanny state of the world.
After the Brits have had to deal the the TSA Agents, they will think the real terrorist are wimps.
How do we "know" that terrorists will get past the TSA or even attempt an attack at the Olympics? Why must we always discuss these issues with the presumption that a legion of terrorists are constantly attempting to attack us? Given the virtually infinite number of available soft targets, wouldn't it be more logical to assume that there are actually very few "terrorists?"
I guess now the word shagged and TSA will now be world wide and have a meaning?
Will they be wearing Gestapo armbands? ..... lol ... Let the Brits keep them!
What a joke ....
What's the unemployment rate in the UK? Talk about inept.
So, England doesn't have enough gropers? Am I missing something?
I guess there, they'll have to learn to grab the right nut.
And I ask, "Why?" to this measure taken.... The TSA in America has likened itself to the Gestapo of Germany. It is and always has been totally ineffective as an agency, and an burden--if not "insult" to the American people. And the fact, that it is "populated" by minorities is not lost on us either.....
The UK is actually the 51st state of the United States. Only the Brits don't know that yet.
I hear they'll be giving free polio vaccines, too!
Can you imagine being patted down in London airport by some of the arrogant TSA agents from Newark, NJ and JFK airports? Who in the UK Homeland Security made the stupid decision to call the arrogant dirty and filthy TSA agents from the US to man the UK airports?
The prev's now in England?
Boy they must be happy. Lots more people to grope and the perv's will be out of England after the games are over. So home free from litigation
Only politicians can come up with stupid ideas like this.
England get read for the perv petrol.
NoScope1337 banned, multiple of DeVille223, also banned. Don't register multiple accounts.
Who's brilliant idea was this? We are exporting our airport gestapo overseas now? Now the whole world will get a taste of our shinning examples of homeland security heroes. The terrorists get a pass while grandma and the kids get molested.
Who's "homeland" security is this?? How is it even legal? TSA isn't an army nor is it a police force, neither of which should be allowed to "police" the U.K. as foreign entities. What if Britain sent pseudo-police to the U.S.? What would the average American do? Apparently nothing. Is everyone sleeping? This is a bad dream!
Our taxes are paying them to help another country!Britain should use their military instead!
I wonder if we can get the poor Brits to keep them
Great first occupying Afghan than Iraq and now occupy the British?
I've never liked the moniker 'Homeland Security'. Many people forget that when the SS started in Germany, they were called the 'Saal-Schutz'=Home Protection. After they affiliated with the Nazi party and the Nazi Party gained power in Germany they changed their name to 'Schutz-Staffen'=Protection Corps.
However, that being said, you're missing something from the article:
TSA agents were drafted primarily to assist U.S. carriers, but it said the agents would also be working with British airlines. The agents will not be allowed beyond boarding gates or onto British aircraft, it said.
There's a clearly defined line which TSA/DHS agents will be operating behind, which presumably they can't cross without repercussions/international incidents. They'll be used to police US airlines only, freeing up British transportation safety officers to provide security on British airlines. So it is legal within clearly-defined boundaries.
My question here is whether Homeland Security will take the opportunity to slip covert intelligence agents into the TSA complement in order to 'provide situational awareness' of the doings of another country's diplomatic party. An agent who is dressed as American TSA could easily gain access to a foreign diplomatic party's luggage--I'll let you imagine the possible scenarios for that eventuality. How many people have had luggage lost in an airline? What do you want to bet that if a middle eastern country's delegation 'loses' luggage, Homeland Security won't slip a little something extra in it (like a listening device) before giving it back?
Would you, as a US citizen, be okay with this?
So who's bright idea was this to publish the fact that US airport security will be going to Britain in force? I think it is reasonable to support the efforts of the Olympics but to announce that this contingent is going abroad appears to be s somewhat stupid grand standing opportunity.
So here is what I am wondering and TSA please do not reply because that would be stupid too...so how short are we going to be for TSA agents in US airports around the country? Are we going to be paying time and 1/2 for our domestic TSA agents. If there are enough agents to share with GB are we over employing TSA at home?
Truly I don't have a problem with sharing security. I do have a problem when a Domestic Security force Department head is announcing this to media outlets.
Hmm. You don't think anyone would notice a bunch of molesters wearing white shirts running around the airports with American flags on their sleeves? I'm thinking announcing it was ok. No national security issues for you tin hatters to worry about.
Amused it isn't about being noticed in UK Airport and I can't imagine that the incidents of mollesters would be any higher in the TSA as say in the medical field or teaching fields, it is about grandstanding and making self serving public statements...If they are actually individually identified as US employees that again would be one more flawed policy of the Obama Home Land Security and one more attempt to scream "look at me" without considering any consequence.
Agree. But the the US corporate sponsorship is really what it's all about. Making money is what it'sw all about and they'll have you die for it.
www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/may/13/london-2012-olympics-coe-sponsor?newsfeed=true
Who's going to teach them English before they leave for the UK?
lollllllll
Most of the world doesn't speak ebonics.
Nice PD
well massa dez gonna lernz darez
iz teahez dem
yawzuh yawzuh yawzuh
lol...
OOO this just makes me feel so safe, NNNNNOOOOOTTTTT
Is the world prepared for are LEGAL MOLESTERS.....
Kinda hope they put them up in really crappy hotels.....
I'm not surprised by this in the least. It's a logical extension of America's ambition to be the 'World's Cop'.
What a joke - but then again I'd be very pleased if the TSA would send 100% of our screeners over there and leave them there!!!
Dang Don..........you beat me to the comment I was going to make about when to bring them back!
OH, God help us.
this does help us, more TSA over there = fewer over here
haha right
LOL HUGE MISTAKE London. Of course, maybe we can send all of the TSA over to you, then you can KEEP THEM!
Wow, worst decision the Brits could've ever made.
So do passengers get a cup of tea when they are gate-raped now?
Possibly on the tea issue..........but I read elsewhere that the attendees can not breath easier about bringing their snow globes through security!! REAL progress here you think?
Death by snow globe? That would be a French concern, not a Brit.
Well I was wondering how they could screw this up even more and now I know. This should be fun. Most of the attendees should get through security just in time for the closing ceremonies. Good luck London and good night.
A TSA Agent at Kennedy airport caused chaos and massive delays because he could not figure out that the X-ray detector was not plugged in. I hope he brings a european A.C. adapter with him on his trip to England as europe is 220 Volts or we may have an international incident on our hands.
I, for one, am happy to see the US step up (once again) and help out. So sick of everyone complaining about every little thing the US does. The UK asked for help. We said sure. Instead, all you folk can do is be negative about how awful the TSA is and yadda, yadda. Easier to whine and complain than to come up with a better solution to the reality that is presented to you in the world today. If you're going to say whats wrong, offer up a possible solution at the same time. To the TSA people going over to help- good on you, remember that you represent the USA and be the best you can. To naysayers... whatever... go be miserable on the Internet some more.
try to make it less obvious...troll
TROLL ALERT!
Maybe Britain will "step up" and send their security agents over here when we get the Olympics again to repay us you think?...............NOT!
Don't pick on the UK, I can't think of another country that has our back and the means.
When the Iraqis invaded Kuwait, alQuaeda, then a mercenary force, offered their assistance to the Kuwaiti government. They said no, we want the Americans--America, can you come help us out? We said 'sure.' In retrospect, it was less about helping another country and more for the fact they are an oil-producing country.That was when Al-Quaeda decided that we were the infidel and started hating us.
Honestly, I don't see what the problem is that everyone's fussing about. According to the article, the TSA agents will be working with US airlines primarily, freeing up British transportation security to work on other British airlines. Only if asked will our TSA personnel go to 'assist' at British airlines--and if the british REALLY don't like our US TSA workers (come on, they have to have heard the complaints we've made about the TSA by now) all they have to do is thell the one they asked to come help at their airline, 'okay, we got this, you can go back to your airline now.'
Prior to sending our TSA personnel there I do feel there need to be some hard and fast rules, and a very clear, almost-to-the-point-of-micromanagement set of guidelines for our people to follow that will dovetail with the British rules for checking and security. The slightest deviation from these rules should result in immediately being sent back to the US. Personnel sent should have a clean employment record and excellent customer service skills. This is a global stage, and any appearance of misconduct could possibly blow up in our faces--how our TSA act is going to reflect hugely on us, and considering that the TSA has already been criticized by other countries for failed 'drug detection security exercises' (in which packets of drugs marked 'TSA security training purposes' got past the American TSA agents and ended up intercepted in foreign airports, causing those countries to say 'hey, we found your drugs, please could you not do this anymore?') this could either be a spectacular sucess---people thinking we really are on the ball--or a spectacular failure, when the world decides they don't like the way US TSA does things. We'll have to see how it plays out.
My only other concern about this is that since TSA is a component division of Homeland Security, I wonder if they may try to engage in covert intelligence operations, slipping 'spies' in under the guise of TSA agents to infiltrate, monitor, and gather information about another suspect country's internal workings by acting as security assists for a diplomatic party.
O.K., solution is hereby offered. YOU, get off the internet, stay off. We have a right to express ideas and opinions regardless of how they may appear to others. TSA employees are uneducated, immoral, perverts. USA has no business sending ANYONE to the UK for any security detail, rent a cop gone wrong.
Ok call me ignorant, and I'm sure you will :) What is the definition of a troll on here?
Thank you Ms. Tek.
I was getting tired of the whiners and complainers. All hot air no solutions. They piss and moan about the TSA and half of them have never been to an airport.
@ Dan Kamp
Ok call me ignorant, and I'm sure you will :) What is the definition of a troll on here?
I'm a little behind on my cyber-lingo too, but I think it refers to shmoos who stalk the "forums" looking for a fight or to disparage any and all opinions.....they seldom add anything to the discussion....
Then it seems that I am the one that got trolled since I don't agree with the the popular opinion to hate the TSA or when America helps out. We're not innocent by a long shot... but Americans have done a lot of good in this world and I think that gets forgotten because its cooler to hate on them (or self-hate if you happen to be one). Part of that attitude it the exact reason why the country IS suffering now. Better to bitch, whine and complain rather than offer insightful and helpful commentary on how to improve things. The comment about how many of these people actually fly is a good comment. I fly extensively for work and pleasure and I also work with several federal agencies, TSA included and I think that people seem to forget that the TSA people ARE people too and they are only doing their jobs- they don't have a personal vendetta to make traveler's lives miserable. But hey, you've going to approach them aggressively, you can't complain about what happens.
When we check the depends on 90 year old women and let those with towels wrapped around their heads go through without a glance I'm not sure our agents are the best to do this, though not their fault. We have too many that think we aren't being fair if we actually check those most likely to be a threat. Most countries aren't as concerned with profiling as they are with stopping the bad guys. In Britain I don't think they have a problem paying extra attention to young middle eastern males most likely to want to do harm.
Larry, were you born a bigot or did you become one only recently?
I admit I'm a bigot. When I look out toward the chicken house and see a Robin and a Coyote, I pay close attention to the Coyote.
saulb, you must be a RAG HEAD!!
Nothing bigoted about scientific profiling. However when you yell bigot every time you see the word "profile", then you ARE a bigot. It works both ways.
We should all be comforted by this piece of news !? You have to be kidding.
why would the tsa do that? i thought the british were our friends
Who will be screening the Pakistani airline arrivals? I hope they have a battalion of TSA agents with assault rifles. Oh wait, they are our non-NATO allies now. Silly of me to suggest that. Just let them through I am sure they can be trusted now.
Lets hope the British wise up and realize that they are about to get the most incompetent representatives of security in America. What a disgrace to this country. Why not send x servicemen over, who are trained, professional and capable, rather then these political correct incompetents?
Dont you see the tv specials when people cant find there lost luggage only for it to end up at a cheap discount store? Talk about incompentent more like thiefs, its no wonder people cant claim there things because of getting the run around. The law says that TSA has 90 days for ur luggage to be claimed after that its there property.
Ditto, Irishwit! That's just was I was thinking.... TSA are among the most ignorant of American society---given these jobs to keep them off the streets, mainly....or to get them off the dole without having to work themselves too hard.
Experts (from Israel---and they ARE experts when it comes to terrorism), state that the attacks in airport terminals will NOT come around where we have the TSA anyway. Attacks can take out much larger crowd just at the ticket desk. Hence, the TSA agents aren't just an insult to America, but totally un-necessary! Time to close that agency down....
This sounds like an opportunity for terrorist to attack America again. I question the ability of agents left here to do all of the work, will the ones here be forced to work overtime and therefore not be at the top of their game?
Paul, I'll re-post my comment for you....just a thought, mind you, but:
Experts (from Israel---and they ARE experts when it comes to terrorism), state that the attacks in airport terminals will NOT come around where we have the TSA anyway. Attacks can take out much larger crowd just at the ticket desk. Hence, the TSA agents aren't just an insult to America, but totally un-necessary! Time to close that agency down....
Well, now we'll see if the TSA is actually up to snuff, but if I were a betting man, I'd say they'll flub it. This will separate the men from the boys real quick, and they won't be wrestling grannies and kiddies, but REAL terrorists, such as the IRA and Al Qaida and the like. No do-overs. No excuses. The world will be watching, and I'm as eager as the next man to know just what my billions of dollars are paying for...
Now that's a great idea! Send our incompetent, molest-happy TSA agents so they can show the rest of the world just how bad they are.
I just hope that the results are not what we expect. Unfortunately, the opportunity to screw up is high and considering what these people do on a daily basis here, we will most likely create more ill will there.
Who pays their salary while they are there? The British? Hah. Obummer working on the deficiet some more.
You are an idot.
I feel sorry for the Brits