Depressing story on airport security

The story is online here. It contains links to the Web site of the offending organization and to the author's story and follow ups.

Here's the summary: Edward Hasbrouck is a travel writer and trouble maker and has been for years. He is well-known in the world of cheap travellers to exotic places. He was invited to a symposium on Aviation Security. One of his trouble-making activities is reporting on what happens at airport security, so he figured he could learn something. His invitation was addressed to him by name, occupation (travel writer), and trade name ("The Practical Nomad"). He paid his fee, was registered, and was issued an attendee badge.

At the morning breakfast, he chatted with a group of fellow attendees, all of whom introduced themselves and talked about their work. After the breakfast, Mr. Hasbrouck was asked to leave. He was told by the event representative that one of the speakers did not feel comfortable giving a presentation that contained sensitive information when there was an author in the audience. Mr. Hasbrouck appears to have been told the organization would refund his registration fee ($1,795), but his travel and lodging expenses were left hanging. Asking for those to be reimbursed seems fair, since he made the trip for the symposium.

Now here's the real problem: Presumably after Mr. Hasbrouck left, the speaker delivered his presentation with it's sensitive information. It is apparent that the invitation list was not "cleared" of people who should not have access to sensitive information. It is apparent that no one at the conference confirmed any clearance of the attendees. Yet, once the one known author was expelled, the sensitive presentation continued, on the apparent assumption that people not announcing themselves as authors were "cleared" to receive the information. And these are the people who are charged with securing our airports against hostile agents.

As Mr. Hasbrouck says in an interview with Wired, "I could have said I was the security consultant to the airport in Timbuktu and they would have let me in. No real terrorist would have been slowed down at all….It demonstrates the grossest sort of negligence."

This is very, very depressing.

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