Report: U.S. Airport Screeners Missed Weapons(well, let's bomb Iraq)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Undercover investigators were able to slip explosives and weapons past security screeners during tests at 15 U.S. airports, according to a 2003 investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.



Results of the department's tests, which were cited Thursday by USA Today, were presented in a classified report to members of Congress while a less detailed version was released by the agency's inspector general on Wednesday.


Asked about the report, U.S. Undersecretary for Homeland Security Asa Hutchinson, said on Thursday changes had been made since investigators were able to get past airport security with guns, knives and box cutters in 2003.


"That report was a year ago when the tests were made. Changes were made. We improved our training of the screeners and we've tested them since then and the proficiency rate has improved dramatically," Hutchinson told Fox News.


USA Today quoted Florida Republican Rep. John Mica (news, bio, voting record) as saying the results on weapons were bad enough, but the results on explosives were "absolutely horrendous."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=8&u=/nm/20040923/ts_nm/security_screeners_dc