The
INTENT is assessed by
highly trained security people. The usual quip about singling out 'Moslems' is just typical of those that don't understand precisely what profiling is. It starts with simple questioning and observation followed with more questioning based on the answers to previous questions. These
highly trained security people will know what they are looking for, not just the answers to their questions but the physical reactions to their questions. They also know how to read an airline ticket. Once their suspicions are aroused they can call in people more experienced than themselves to take the matter further if necessary. There are many ways to profile a person and using the typical discriminatory statement that they would single out young, middle eastern males travelling alone is just not good enough. Yes, those people may be singled out but a good profiler will be able to make a decision based on answers to their questions fairly quickly. Let's not forget that many people who have slipped through the net have not been single, middle eastern looking men.
The problem is not the discriminatory side of profiling but the cost of it. Unfortunately the airlines, governments and passengers pay lip service to the security needs but when it comes down to forking out for this real security it is probably cheaper to risk another 9/11 than face the long term costs of such a secure system. As long as it looks like something is being done, ie. a bunch of uniformed people operating a metal detector and an x-ray machine then that is much cheaper than real security and everyone who has a friend or relative who has had nail clippers removed will believe that it was for the best. Like lambs to the slaughter, the travelling public will believe that journos like the one featured in this post are doing a real service. Until those journalists highlight the real deficiencies, then nothing much is going to change until some very clever terrorists realise that it really is quite easy to bypass the current cosmetic farce most people call 'security'.
