Full Body Scans Only Way To Stop Flight 253-Type Attempts: Expert

As the world continues to reel in the aftermath of the flight 253 incident, in which Nigerian national Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, attempted to set off PETN explosive on a Northwest Airlines flight (Delta Airlines is NWA's parent company), a security expert says there is an answer. The backscatter machine, which provides a full body scan, could have prevented the incident, but at the cost of privacy for many.

The backscatter machine, as opposed to a normal X-ray, detects the radiation which comes from behind the target. As you can see from the image above, it shows anything the subject is carrying. However, you can also tell it only shows one side of the subject, meaning a subject would be required to turn around in order for full scanning to be applied.

It's possible, however, that this would be the only way for airlines to be truly secure. Unfortunately, the backscatter machine is not available in all airports globally, and attempts to institute it in the U.S. have met with resistance over privacy issues. It's obvious that the image provided is very revealing.

In addition to concerns over the "nudity" aspect, some have brought up medical privacy reasons, as well. For example, backscatter scans would allow screeners to gain access to otherwise confidential medical information, such as the fact a passenger uses a colostomy bag.

Douglas Laird is a former security director for Northwest Airlines. Appearing on CNN on Saturday, he promoted the use of full-body scans, though without mentioned the exact backscatter technology.

In a newspaper interview, Laird said the following:

"With backscatter, when you scan, you'd see a silhouette of the body. You could see whatever was on the outside of the body, on the surface of the body or anything sewn into the lining of your coat. It would show up as kind of a gray mass."

As safety is of primary concern in this "New World," the question is whether or not privacy will take a back seat. Laird was quite opinionated in terms of that issue.

"I believe we have to give up some rights for the safety of everybody. It's a real nerve that you touch when you mention that."

It's unclear how much radiation this would subject people to, however, and the potential for harm from that, for frequent travelers. There is still a loophole, however, as the backscatter machine would not detect anything hidden in a body cavity. Unfortunately, a full body X-ray would subject passengers to too much radiation, and cost millions more to implement (a backscatter machine would only cost $200,000, Laird said).

Written by Michael Santo
HULIQ.com

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