Let the Profiling Begin

by Daniel Pipes
Fri, 5 Dec 2003

Send

Comment

RSS

The Associated Press reports today about the seizure in Gloucester, England, of "a pair of stretched-out socks with traces of explosives in them." Found among the possessions of arrested terrorist suspect Sajid Badat last month, this discovery has prompted a U.S. government warning that Al-Qaeda might use personal items to disguise explosives with which to blow up an airplane.

Authorities believe these socks seized during the arrest of Sajid Badat were designed to be filled with explosives and then tethered and worn around a bomber's neck. (Transportation Security Administration photo obtained by ABCNEWS)

This prompts the following thought: Suppose the terrorists do perfect an explosive device that is invisible to any machine. Were that to happen, then the authorities would have no choice but to focus – as some of us have been calling for – on the passengers rather than on the weapons. Of course, to avoid laboriously searching each and every passenger, this means focusing on the more likely suspects and that in turn raises the dread prospect of "profiling." Should we not begin doing this sooner rather than later, and thereby preempt the problem? (December 5, 2003)

TrackBack URL for this post: http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/trackback.php/127/69801/382

Comment on this weblog entry

Name	Email Address (optional) Email me if someone replies to my comment
Title of Comments
Comments:
Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited, before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. Top 25 recent comments Daniel Pipes Blog Homepage

Daniel Pipes Blog Homepage

ADVERTISEMENTS