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by 8bitagent » Sun Jun 26, 2011 10:52 pm
by freemason9 » Sun Jun 26, 2011 11:36 pm
by Canadian_watcher » Mon Jun 27, 2011 11:33 am
freemason9 wrote:Allow me to be honest here. I am quite happy whenever anyone has the urge to check me out in more detail.
Fire away, friends; I love you all.
by elfismiles » Mon Jun 27, 2011 11:45 am
by elfismiles » Mon Jun 27, 2011 2:40 pm
New Documents Prove TSA “Mischaracterized” Safety Aspects Of Full Body Scanners
Steve Watson
Infowars.com
June 27, 2011
Newly released internal government documents, obtained via the Freedom Of Information Act, reveal that the TSA, and specifically the head of the Department of Homeland Security, “publicly mischaracterized” the findings of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in stating that NIST had positively confirmed the safety of full body scanners in tests.
In the private email response, NIST stated that the Institute had not, in fact, tested full body scanners at all for safety, and that the Institute does not even undertake product testing.
The email (below) states that the director of NIST was “not looking for corrections”, but wished to “offer clarification”, that the agency “doesn’t want any mischaracterization of their work continued.”
At the time, Prisonplanet.com published a response article to Napolitano’s claims, highlighting the fact that her statements regarding the safety of the scanners, as well as her claims that the pat down alternative was “discreet”, were manifestly false.
It is now clear that our concerns were shared by another government agency, in the form of NIST.
Another document obtained by EPIC even shows that, far from affirming their safety, NIST warned that airport screeners should avoid standing next to full body scanners in order to keep exposure to harmful radiation “as low as reasonably achievable.”
It is not clear whether or not the information and advice was ever passed on to TSA workers.
However, another document obtained by EPIC shows that a growing number of TSA workers diagnosed with cancers are voicing concern that the full body scanners and x-ray machines are indeed to blame for their illnesses.
The document also highlights the fact that the TSA has failed to issue employees with dosimeters, safety devices that would warn of radiation exposure, despite repeated requests from workers and their supervisors.
In an email sent by a TSA representative to employees at Boston’s Logan Airport, workers are assured that their complaints are being listened to and that a request to issue the radiation monitoring devices had been sent to TSA headquarters.
“I understand that some TSO’s who were diagnosed as having cancer have already left TSA employment but that BOS still has an alarmingly high number of cancer afflicted TSOs still working here.” the email states.
“Despite TSA management’s past assurances, many TSOs here do not feel safe from radiation threats that may go hand in hand with using x-ray screening technology, especially the newer [installed since TSA federalized airport security] technology…” the email continues.
In the same USA Today piece, Napolitano, or ‘Big Sis’ as she is now often referred to, also claimed that the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory had also independently affirmed the safety of the scanners.
However, yet another document obtained and released by EPIC now shows that a Johns Hopkins study actually revealed that radiation zones around body scanners could exceed the “General Public Dose Limit.”
At the time we pointed out that Dr Michael Love, who runs an X-ray lab at the department of biophysics and biophysical chemistry at the Johns Hopkins school of medicine had publicly stated two days previously that “statistically someone is going to get skin cancer from these X-rays”.
“…we have a situation at the airports where people are so eager to fly that they will risk their lives in this manner,” Love said.
In addition, several other scientists have continued to speak out over the health hazards associated with the x-ray technology, noting that the body scanners are far from safe.
It is now even more clear that Napolitano’s statements to the public regarding the body scanners were misleading at best, and at worst were outright lies.
EPIC is currently engaged in a lawsuit against the DHS to force full disclosure of body scanner radiation risks. A second EPIC lawsuit is seeking to suspend the use of full body scanners altogether. Both lawsuits are ongoing.
The TSA previously refused to release internal reports on the safety of the body scanners.
http://www.infowars.com/new-documents-prove-tsa-“mischaracterized”-safety-aspects-of-full-body-scanners/
by elfismiles » Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:58 am
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/06/27 ... z1QZhwUJbt
Texas House, Senate approve reworked bills over airport pat-downs
Posted Monday, Jun. 27, 2011
By Dave Montgomery / dmontgomery@star-telegram.com
AUSTIN -- The Texas House on Monday gave preliminary approval to legislation that prohibits invasive pat-downs by federal airport security agents after incorporating changes that led House Speaker Joe Straus to drop his resistance to the bill.
The Senate passed its own watered-down version of the bill Monday night. The measure now goes back to the House for another vote today.
The substantially reworked measure, however, ignited a new wave of hostility from another direction as scores of former supporters staged a noisy protest inside the Capitol to denounce the changes. Austin radio talk show host Alex Jones, who led the rally, said the changes "completely gutted" the bill.
The controversial measure, which has drawn national attention, also faced another adversary: time.
Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, chief sponsor of the bill in the Senate, acknowledged that it will be a challenge to get the measure to Gov. Rick Perry's desk before the Legislature's special session ends Wednesday.
Despite all the obstacles that have arisen, the bill showed unexpected signs of life just days after Straus denounced it as a "publicity stunt" and vowed that it would not come to the House floor in its original form.
The reworked House bill emerged from talks between Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, and senior members of Straus' leadership team.
Straus said that "after substantial revisions to the bill," he was satisfied that the legislation "lets Texans travel safely, protects the privacy of citizens and enables law enforcement to do its job."
The bill would expand the federal definition of "official oppression" to ban federal employees from improperly touching a person's private areas. Violations would constitute a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a maximum $4,000 fine.
The Transportation Security Administration opposes the measure and has threatened legal action if it becomes law.
The revised bill has changes urged by the Texas attorney general's office to help counter possible constitutional hurdles. One key change allows agents to argue, as an element of defense, that they believed that they were acting within the scope of the Constitution.
Another major revision changes the proposed standard for conducting searches from "probable cause" to "reasonable suspicion" of wrongdoing. The Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas said a "probable cause" standard would unduly restrict law enforcement searches.
But, conversely, supporters of the original bill said permitting "reasonable suspicion" as a basis for airport screening allowed a more relaxed standard that would give TSA agents broad latitude to conduct pat-downs. The bill applies to searches involving people seeking access to public buildings or transportation.
At least 75 protesters led by Jones crowded outside the House and Senate and packed into the governor's reception room to assail the House bill.
Patrick and Simpson defended the changes as necessary to get the bill passed. They predicted that it would force the TSA to make policy changes to prevent abusive behavior.
Dave Montgomery is the Star-Telegram's Austin bureau chief. 512-476-4294
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/06/27 ... z1QZi3IDLT
by Bruce Dazzling » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:12 am
FOIA'd Documents Raise New Questions About Body Scanner Radiation Risks
In a FOIA lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, EPIC has just obtained documents concerning the radiation risks of TSA's airport body scanner program. The documents include agency emails, radiation studies, memoranda of agreement concerning radiation testing programs, and results of some radiation tests. One document set reveals that even after TSA employees identified cancer clusters possibly linked to radiation exposure, the agency failed to issue employees dosimeters - safety devices that could assess the level of radiation exposure.
Another document indicates that the DHS mischaracterized the findings of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, stating that NIST "affirmed the safety" of full body scanners. The documents obtained by EPIC reveal that NIST disputed that characterization and stated that the Institute did not, in fact, test the devices.
Also, a Johns Hopkins University study revealed that radiation zones around body scanners could exceed the "General Public Dose Limit."
For more information, see EPIC: EPIC v. Department of Homeland Security - Full Body Scanner Radiation Risks and EPIC: EPIC v. DHS (Suspension of Body Scanner Program).
by elfismiles » Tue Jun 28, 2011 12:54 pm
SPREAD EM !!! by elfismiles » Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:25 am
Claims that the government is covering up 'clusters' of cancer among Transport Security Administration workers have sparked fears the agency's airport scanning machines could pose a risk to travellers.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center has gone on the attack against the TSA and the Department of Homeland Security after securing a selection of government emails in a Freedom of Information request.
Executive director Marc Rotenberg told media that documents show that the government 'has not been forthcoming with the public about the true extent of radiation risk with the airport body scanners.'
He claimed union representatives at Boston's Logan airport have already discovered a 'cluster' of cancer cases among TSA workers there.
He said the Department appears to have just 'dismissed' the concerns.WHAT THE DOCUMENTS ARE SAID TO REVEAL
According to EPIC, the documents released on June 24 by its FOI request include agency emails, radiation studies, agreements concerning radiation testing programmes, and the results of some radiation tests.
EPIC says the records show that TSA employees have identified 'cancer clusters allegedly linked to radiation exposure while operating body scanners and other screening technology'.
It also claims the records show that the Department of Homeland Security has 'publicly mischaracterised the findings of the National Institute of Standards and Technology' over the devices.
DHS head Janet Napolitano claimed in a 2010 USAToday article that NIST 'affirmed the safety' of full body scanners.
According to the EPIC documents, NIST said in an email that it was concerned about the claim and that it did not test full body scanners for safety, nor does it do product testing.
The documents are also said to show NIST warning workers to avoid standing next to full body scanners.
And they cite a Johns Hopkins University study showing the radiation zones around the scanners could exceed safety limits.
However the TSA told 9NEWS NOW that it has implemented 'stringent safety protocols to ensure that technology used at airports to screen people and property is safe for all passengers, as well as the TSA workforce'.
The agency added: 'In addition to regular maintenance, each individual machine that uses X-ray technology is regularly tested to ensure the radiation emitted falls within the national safety standards.'
The agency claims it has the science to prove the machines are safe.
More...
* Watered-down Texas anti-groping bill lets TSA touch passengers wherever they want - as long as staff are 'suspicious'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... cious.html
However scientists at the University of California have already written to President Barack Obama's science advisor to claim: 'There is still no rigorous, hard, data for the safety of X-ray airport passenger scams'.
They claim the agency is relying on tests performed by the machines' manufacturers.
EPIC also claimed that union representatives in Boston have cited a 'cancer cluster' among TSA workers there.
They have asked the agency to allow its members to wear radiation monitoring devices.
In 2010 EPIC filed a lawsuit to suspend the use of scanners at U.S. airports pending an independent review.
According to its website, EPIC, founded in 1994, is a 'public interest research centre in Washington, DC'.
The group was founded to 'focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1QfQcukL9
by elfismiles » Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:58 pm
Evidence Found: Full Body Airport Scanners Cause Cancer?
News by Mark Berman Opposing Views
A public research group has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security calling for a suspension of full body x-ray machines at airports, saying there is evidence that they cause cancer.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) said it obtained documents following a Freedom of Information Act request that shows the machines could cause cancer, and that the government is not telling the public about it.
EPIC writes on its website:
The documents include agency emails, radiation studies, memoranda of agreement concerning radiation testing programs, and results of some radiation tests. One document set reveals that even after TSA employees identified cancer clusters possibly linked to radiation exposure, the agency failed to issue employees dosimeters - safety devices that could assess the level of radiation exposure.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, that cancer cluster is among TSA agents at Boston's Logan Airport. EPIC executive director Marc Rotenberg said union representatives found the cluster, and that Homeland Security "dismissed" the claims.
He said the government "has not been forthcoming with the public about the true extent of radiation risk with the airport body scanners."
Homeland Security insists testing has proven that the machines are safe, saying, "In addition to regular maintenance, each individual machine that uses X-ray technology is regularly tested to ensure the radiation emitted falls within the national safety standards."
But EPIC writes:
Another document indicates that the DHS mischaracterized the findings of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, stating that NIST "affirmed the safety" of full body scanners. The documents obtained by EPIC reveal that NIST disputed that characterization and stated that the Institute did not, in fact, test the devices. Also, a Johns Hopkins University study revealed that radiation zones around body scanners could exceed the "General Public Dose Limit."
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/evidence ... use-cancer
by elfismiles » Wed Jun 29, 2011 9:03 pm
Morning Security Brief: Android Security, Virus Outbreak, Scanner Radiation ...
Security Management - Carlton Purvis - 10 hours ago
Body scanners used by the Transportation Security Administration may expose travelers to more than normal doses of radiation, documents obtained by The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) through FOIA revealed. The documents include e-mails, radiation test results, and radiation studies. “One document set reveals that even after TSA employees identified cancer clusters possibly linked to radiation exposure, the agency failed to issue employees dosimeters - safety devices that could assess the level of radiation exposure,” a report from EPIC states. This referred to concern about the growing number of Transportation Security Officers being diagnosed with cancer in Boston. Additionally, a John Hopkins study concluded that body scanners could exceed the “general public dose limit.”
http://www.securitymanagement.com/news/ ... ore-008687
Uncertainties in the Dose From Full-Body Airport Screening—Reply
Archives of Internal Medicine - Jun 27, 2011
The doses from these scanners are equivalent to the low levels of radiation we are all exposed to through daily living. We believe it would be prudent for the TSA to permit independent testing of the machines, given the large number of individuals ...
COMMENTS AND OPINIONS
Uncertainties in the Dose From Full-Body Airport Screening—Reply
Rebecca Smith-Bindman, MD; Pratik Mehta, BA
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.
In reply
We agree with Dr Rez that there is considerable uncertainty involved in quantifying the doses emitted and absorbed when passengers are imaged with the backscatter scanners. This uncertainty could be reduced if the TSA allowed greater access to the scanners so that additional independent testing and direct measurements could be made. Ideally, every scanner in operation should be checked to ensure its proper functioning. However, it is not clear that estimating doses by reviewing images, or estimating the exposures based on the reported scattered dose, provides greater precision than using estimates that were derived from direct measurements reported by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory1 and the NIST,2 who were given access to the scanners.
To estimate the number of cancers that could result from the scanners, we estimated an effective dose per scan of 0.10 µSv. This is 4 to . . .
[Full Text of this Article]
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/conten ... 71/12/1130
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Author Affiliations: Department of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley (Mr Mehta); and Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (Dr Smith-Bindman).
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/conten ... 71/12/1130
by 2012 Countdown » Fri Jul 01, 2011 10:15 am
by elfismiles » Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:59 am
2012 Countdown wrote:elfsmiles, are you down at the Tx. statehouse? If so, go get em!
People like to rag on AJ, but who else is doing this?! Who else is challenging them?! AJ has been calling on everyone to flood the Tx statehouse for days now.
He's been playing clips from the protests calling it a 'citizen fillibuster', hehe.
"TREASON!, TREASON!, etc."
I was looking for footage/clips that he has played on air, but couldn't find any. It sounded like it got pretty raucus. Me likie.
All to no avail, but resistence is victory!
Texas Special Session Ends Without Passage of Anti-TSA Groping Bill
Kurt Nimmo
Infowars.com
June 29, 2011
http://www.infowars.com/texas-special-s ... ping-bill/
Fuckers.
by elfismiles » Tue Jul 05, 2011 8:54 am
Ron Paul Goes After The TSA
Congressman to re-introduce American Traveler Dignity Act this week
Steve Watson
Prisonplanet.com
July 4, 2011
In the wake of last week’s demise of the effort on behalf of Texas lawmakers to criminalize TSA transgressions, Congressman Ron Paul has taken up the cause, once again proving he is the only serious presidential candidate when it comes to protecting the liberties of Americans.
Paul announced today, on Independence Day, that he will introduce legislation into the House this week that will directly target not only grossly invasive TSA pat downs, but also the use of harmful radiation emitting body scanners.
“This week I am introducing the American Traveler Dignity Act, which establishes that airport security screeners are not immune from any US law regarding physical contact with another person, making images of another person, or causing physical harm through the use of radiation emitting from machinery on another person.” The Congressman stated in his weekly Texas Straight Talk update.
“They are not above laws the rest of us must obey.” Paul urged. “As we continue to see more and more outrageous stories of TSA abuses and failures, I hope that my colleagues within the House will listen to their constituents and join with me to support this legislation. ” The Congressman added.
“The press reports are horrifying. 95 year old women humiliated, children molested, disabled people abused. Men and women subjected to unwarranted groping and touching of their most private areas, and involuntary radiation exposure.” Paul stated.
“If the perpetrators were a gang of criminals, their headquarters would be raided by SWAT teams and armed federal agents. Unfortunately in this case, the perpetrators are armed federal agents.” he continued.
The Congressman previously introduced the legislation, H.R. 6416, last November, however it did not pass committee.
The bill contains just a short section that reads:
No law of the United States shall be construed to confer any immunity for a Federal employee or agency or any individual or entity that receives Federal funds, who subjects an individual to any physical contact (including contact with any clothing the individual is wearing), x-rays, or millimeter waves, or aids in the creation of or views a representation of any part of a individual’s body covered by clothing as a condition for such individual to be in an airport or to fly in an aircraft. The preceding sentence shall apply even if the individual or the individual’s parent, guardian, or any other individual gives consent.
Listen to Congressman Paul’s update in full:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RtMm6d60og
The Congressman’s commentary is presented in written form below:
The press reports are horrifying. 95 year old women humiliated, children molested, disabled people abused. Men and women subjected to unwarranted groping and touching of their most private areas, and involuntary radiation exposure.
If the perpetrators were a gang of criminals, their headquarters would be raided by SWAT teams and armed federal agents. Unfortunately in this case, the perpetrators are armed federal agents.
This is the sorry situation ten years after the creation of the Transportation Security Agency. The requirement that Americans be forced to undergo this appalling treatment, simply for the privilege of traveling in their own country reveals much about how the federal government feels about our liberties.
The unfortunate fact that we put up with this does not speak well for our willingness to stand up to an abusive government.
Many Americans continue to fool themselves into accepting TSA abuse by saying ‘I don’t mind giving up my freedoms for security. In fact though, they are giving up their liberties and NOT receiving security in return.
Last week, for example, just days after an elderly cancer victim was forced to submit to a cruel and pointless TSA search, including removal of an adult diaper, a Nigerian immigrant somehow managed to stroll through TSA security checks and board a flight from New York to LA with a stolen expired boarding pass and an out of date student ID as his sole identification. He was detained and questioned, only to be released and do it again five days later.
We should not be surprised to find this government ineptitude and indifference at the TSA.
At the time the TSA was being created, I strongly opposed the federalization of airline security. As I wrote, in an article back in 2001,
“Congress should be privatizing rather than nationalizing airport security. The free market can and does produce excellent security and many industries. Many security-intensive industries do an outstanding job of maintaining safety without depending on federal agencies.
Nuclear power plants, chemical plants, oil refineries, and armored money transport companies all employ private security forces that operate very effectively. No government agency will ever care about the bottom-line security and profitability of the airlines more than the airlines themselves. Airlines cannot make money if travelers and flight crews are afraid to fly, and in a free market they would drastically change security measures to prevent future tragedies.
In the current regulatory environment, however, the airlines prefer to relinquish all responsibility for security to the government, so that they cannot be held accountable for lapses in the future.”
What we need is real privatization of security, but not phony privatization with the same TSA security screeners in private security uniforms, still operating under the guidance of the federal government.
Real security will be achieved when the airlines are once again in charge of protecting their property and their passengers.
In the mean time, this week I am introducing the American Traveler Dignity Act, which establishes that airport security screeners are not immune from any US law regarding physical contact with another person, making images of another person, or causing physical harm through the use of radiation emitting from machinery on another person.
It means they are not above laws the rest of us must obey. As we continue to see more and more outrageous stories of TSA abuses and failures, I hope that my colleagues within the House will listen to their constituents and join with me to support this legislation.
http://www.infowars.com/ron-paul-goes-after-the-tsa/
by coffin_dodger » Tue Jul 05, 2011 9:03 am
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