Terror 'Dry Runs': Not Really

[The Straight Story]

Terror 'Dry Runs': Not Really
By Tom Shoop | Wednesday, August 01, 2007 | 10:29 AM

Remember that ominous TSA bulletin a couple of weeks ago about inspections turning up blocks of cheese and clay-like substances with wires attached to them? This was supposed to be evidence of possible "dry runs" of terrorist attacks. Well, it turns out that all of the incidents in question actually were false alarms, according to sources ranging from CNN (via The Raw Story -- check out the video where the 66-year-old woman describes being interrogated about whether she knows Osama bin Laden personally) to the San Diego Union-Tribune. If TSA's goal is to make Americans take the threat of another attack involving American airliners more seriously, and to have confidence that its efforts protect the public from genuine threats, then it looks like they've succeeded in doing exactly the opposite.

http://blogs.govexec.com/fedblog/2007/08/terror_dry_runs_not_really.php
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SAN DIEGO – The San Diego director of the Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday that a recent report of a possible terrorist “dry run” at Lindbergh Field stemmed from what turned out to be a false alarm.

The TSA circulated an intelligence bulletin Friday noting the July 5 discovery of two suspicious ice packs found inside a checked bag at the Harbor Drive airfield. The bulletin was obtained by NBC News, which first reported the story.

The bulletin said the incident at Lindbergh and three others at airports around the country since 2006 could indicate some type of pre-attack security probing by terrorists.

The bulletin said the ice packs found in San Diego contained clay.

But local TSA Security Director Michael J. Aguilar – and the chief of the police agency that patrols the airport – said Wednesday that while screeners initially thought the packs held a clay-like substance, it was quickly determined they contained the usual blue gel.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070725-1207-bn25false.html

[fed-up]

1. I think the tularemia (sp?) at the Wash D.C. protest was a dry run.... nt