Will we ever be able to relax again?

Airline passengers go through the Transportation Security Administration security checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, in Atlanta. (AP)

“We’re confident that this device and any individual
that might have been designed to use it are no longer a
threat to the American people,” said John Brennan,
Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, assuring
us that they got the latest would-be underwear bomber, and
no planes were ever in any danger. Which is all very
reassuring, until you hear CBS’s FBI consultant John
Miller:

“Given the past work of Asiri, the bomb maker, who
they’re pretty familiar with, I think there’s a high level
of confidence that this is a functional device and
probably one with devastating consequences,” said Miller.

But at least we got the guy right?

“You don’t have the bomb maker in custody. You
probably have the individual who was supposed to carry it
in custody,” said Miller.

Ah! But, don’t worry, we’ll be using our humane
interrogation techniques, and he’ll talk, and we’ll catch
them all, and Al Qaeda will realize they can’t win, and
turn to politics, form a party, and run a candidate in the
next Greek election.

That HAS to work. Because otherwise what’ll we do?
I’ve counted at least four incidents where passengers have
just stripped naked or near naked at airport checkpoints,
and yet as we heard on the evening news, even that might
not be enough according to security experts:

“They’re more worried about the next potential step to
this threat, which is an explosive hidden not in some
body’s underwear, but in some body’s body,” said a news
report.

Which means being willing to strip would make you even
MORE suspicious. So we can never relax. Your only
alternative is to DRIVE between airports, and take your
chances with the maniacs in the next lane. And I think
your chances against Al Qaeda are actually better.