Clarionledger - Letter sent by U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson to Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner

Letter sent by U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson to Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner

Here is the text of the letter 2nd District Rep. Bennie Thompson sent Monday to Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner:

Dear Inspector General Skinner:

I would like to request that you immediately open an investigation into the very serious allegations brought to light in "How Safe Are We?" an article that appeared in The Clarion-Ledger over the weekend. The investigative journalist that wrote the piece spoke with dozens of current and former Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) at Jackson-Evers International Airport, an airport servicing my Congressional district. These individuals courageously came forward to participate in this story and, in some cases, put their employment at risk, as TSOs do not have federal whistleblower protection. They paint a truly disturbing picture of how security is being administered at Jackson-Evers International Airport. If these allegations are proven to be true, they have enormous implications for the integrity of our entire aviation security system.

The Jackson TSA personnel assert that supervisors, under the direction of Federal Security Director Larry Rowlett, are made aware when covert tests of the airport's screening operations were going to happen. One TSO explained that the supervisors would tell screeners the exact hour when they expected the covert tester to be coming through and would station the most skilled screeners at the checkpoint during the time they expected a test. One current TSO stated that "they would put out the word. You know, 'The red team is coming through.' '' One supervisor was quoted as saying, "Why do you think our airport did so good? Our airport got tested just as much as any airport, but we never failed." The legitimacy of the covert testing regime that you, the Government Accountability Office, and other watchdogs undertake hinges on answering the following questions:

# At any time, have administrators at Jackson-Evers International Airport been told when investigators and auditors are coming through the airport to test the airport's systems?

# If so, by whom, in what manner and for what purpose?

# If not, how do you explain the fact that so many former and current TSOs assert that they were told in advance of covert tests?

# Please investigate whether one airport's personnel can and do "tip off" another nearby airport about the fact that a covert team is on the way. Do covert teams systematically cover airports in the same region or do they do more random testing to prevent alerting nearby airports?

# What protections are in place to ensure the secrecy of covert testing of aviation security when conducted by your office, the Government Accountability Office, and others?

# Are there vulnerabilities in the covert testing procedures that must be addressed? If so, please provide recommendations as to how to ensure the legitimacy of these oversight activities.

The article also reinforced wider concerns I have expressed about the administration of aviation security at Jackson. A TSA supervisor tells of an incident in the spring 2004 where a passenger was allowed to board a plane with explosive blasting caps in his carry-on bag because they were unopened. One screener tells how, on a number of occasions, passengers who brought guns with them in their carry-on bags were allowed to board, once their guns were confiscated. No effort is made to inform TSA headquarters of these incidents or allow the TSA's intelligence unit to determine whether the names of these individuals should be added to the No Fly List, which lists persons who pose a threat to aviation. Please seek out answers to the following questions:

# What protocols and procedures are in place to ensure that when an individual comes to the airport with a firearm or other dangerous prohibited item in their carry-on TSA headquarters is informed?

# What oversight activities are in place to ensure adherence to these protocols and procedures? Are there audits of airport records?

# Is there evidence that the administration at Jackson violated TSA policy and procedures and failed to report such incidents?

As you investigate these specific allegations, I would also appreciate you looking at the record-keeping process on when local and federal law enforcement, other than federal air marshals, are allowed to fly armed at Jackson and other airports. There has been some controversy around the logbook process that is in place and whether it can be altered to cover up when an individual who may not be eligible for Law Enforcement Officer Status, as defined by TSA, is allowed to fly armed. This issue emerged in relation to Jackson Mayor Frank T. Melton, who bragged about flying armed on commercial flights. I would like your assessment of the current process and how it can be tightened up to ensure that individuals that are not authorized under federal law are not let through with a wink and a nod.

With the anniversary of the Sept.11, 2001, attacks being marked today (Monday), aviation security is understandably on all our minds. The allegations set forth in the enclosed article risk undermining the sense of security resulting from the federalizing of aviation security. It is vital that you dig deep and get answers. We may not be happy with them, but we need them. Please direct any follow-up questions you may have on this request to Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the Committee on Homeland Security.

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