Text 27336, 73 rader
Skriven 2012-03-26 09:19:23 av Roy Witt (1:387/22)
  Kommentar till text 27280 av Ward Dossche (23269.fidonews)
Ärende: TSA vs Soldiers going home nonsense!
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Friday, March 23, 2012

TSA announcement:

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"An inaccurate account alleging that TSA Officers took nail clippers from
soldiers returning from Afghanistan is starting to spread around again. We
blogged about this back in 2010 and FactCheck.org even busted the myth,
but in the last week, I've had several people email me to ask me if it's
true, or to let me know that it's spreading again.

The unattributed story claims TSA confiscated multi-tools and nail
clippers, while all soldiers on board were allowed to carry military
issued firearms. The bottom line is the story is not accurate and couldn't
possibly be true.

At Indianapolis International Airport, military charters arrive at the
remote transit terminal, exclusive for these types of flights.

TSA staff does not have access to this facility and, we do not conduct any
screening operations there. Also, nail clippers have never been prohibited
by TSA.

The facility in question is run by the Indiana National Guard, so in 2010,
the Director of Public Affairs for the Indiana National Guard provided us
with this quote:

    "TSA does not have personnel or conduct any screening in the facility
where military charters are processed at Indianapolis International
Airport."

    Shawn D. Gardner
    Director of Public Affairs
    Indiana National Guard

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Source: Factcheck.org

So who is responsible for screening passengers at that terminal? Staff
Sgt. Les Newport, a spokesman for the Indiana National Guard, told us that
Customs - not the TSA - performs security checks of military planes at the
Indianapolis airport. So we called Customs.

Cherise Miles, a Customs spokeswoman familiar with the Indianapolis
airport, said all military charters arrive at the International Arrivals
Building, which is separate and apart from another arrivals facility for
commercial international flights. Customs provides security and conducts
inspections at IAB. TSA officers do not have access to that area of the
airport, she said.

Miles said that before leaving Afghanistan or Iraq, soldiers and their
baggage are checked by military members who have been trained to act as
Customs officers, so Customs officers at Indianapolis Airport have no need
to process them again during a layover. Before allowing soldiers to
re-board the military charter, she said, Customs officials examine each
soldier's military identification documents (read: photo ID) to ensure
that they are who they say they are, but no further security checks are
conducted.

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                R\%/itt


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