Profiling at US Airports for Increased Security: Most Terrorists Are Young Males, and Have Arab Sounding Names

Since the recent airport security blunder involving the underwear wanna- be bomber, I have had trouble understanding just how he was able to get on an airplane carrying 250 people, while concealing explosives in his drawers. As a concerned US citizen I am proposing a new security system for all US airports in order to keep jihad terrorists like him from getting on our air-planes and blowing us up.

On the risks of being accused of profiling and stereotyping certain individuals, my system is based on certain facts and common sense. As octogenarian comedian, Jackie Mason states, "If Hasidic Jews were bombing buildings, would you go looking for Muslims?"

Also I will use the "some of my best friends are" defense. During the 80's and 90's when I lived in Boston, we had an international home stay business. As many as 6 students from all over the world would live in our home for a period while they attended school. I was the "mama" of the house. Each student was from a different country which forced them to speak English to each other while in my home. Some students were Muslim young men. Out of respect to them, I did not serve any pork products at meals. I enjoyed seeing how quickly they learned English and enjoyed Boston student life. Wine, women and song were hard for them to resist, but they all were great kids. I also corresponded with their families. That was before 9/11, but the international student business still exists today, and many Muslim students still participate. Most Muslims are not suicide terrorists, but some of them are, and we must get them before they get us.

When my grand daughter in Florida was born in 1997 and until June 2001 when I moved to Tampa, I flew to Florida every school vacation on American Airlines out of Boston's Logan Airport. The two American Airlines airplanes that hit the World Trade Center flew out of Logan. When I flew, security was no big deal. Security people were easygoing and friendly. 9/11 changed all that. The Logan security people who let the terrorists board on 9/11, are plagued with guilt and have had troubled lives. One has committed suicide.

So here is my plan and I am going to forget about political correctness in order to keep a terrorist off your plane. As the "underwear wanna-be bomber" blunder recently showed us, our security system isn't working. Desperate times call for new security standards, maybe even profiling. Being nice today, risks someone being killed. Believe it or not, today's terrorists fit certain profiles.

Warning signs that one should be sent to the Airport Extra Security Line and not let on the plane... lessons learned from the "underwear bomber blunder."

*The about to board passenger is male, Muslim and young. He has an Arab sounding name. He may even be American born. He may act erratically. Most terrorists share these traits. A study done by Duke University confirms this.

*The young Arab man has no luggage and bought only a one way ticket to his destination.

*He recently visited Yemen which specializes in training and harboring terrorists.

*Another country (Britain) has refused him a visa.

*His own father has warned authorities that this young man is radicalized and dangerous.

*His name is on the "Do Not Fly List." This list should include all intelligence data from all government agencies and be easy to access.

*If the young man seems suspicious for any reason, extra security is needed....sweating, nervousness etc.

*He should be checked completely before he gets on the airplane and apprehended then if necessary, not after the plane lands.

*Security overrules Privacy. All Muslims are not terrorists. But so far all the terrorists have been Muslims.

Suspicious people are not elderly ladies in wheel chairs who purchased round trip tickets. They are not families with little kids going to Disney. These people do not need extreme security searches. Comedian Joan Rivers was recently booted off a plane in handcuffs for flying under her married name, Rosenberg. Do you feel safer?

Common sense should rule. Not every traveler needs to be inconvenienced. All the security people at Logan had a "hunch" about the 9/11 bombers before they got on the planes headed for the World Trade Center; but decided they did not want to be impolite.

The bottom line is al Qaeda wants us infidels dead. They are willing to die to do this. We must root them out. Profiling is one way.

Sources:

St.Pete Times

Personal Experience