Video: Former Head of El Al Airlines Discusses How to Make American Air Travel Safe
In light of the recent bombing attempt, the debate is raging over how to best keep air travel safe for Americans. Some people advocate the backscatter xray machines that strip you naked for the TSA. Privacy advocates oppose those machines and many question the health aspects of being subjected to radiation -- especially for women who might be pregnant and not know it yet.
The safest airline in the world is El Al, the Israeli airline. It has not had a terrorist incident in 30 years. The former head of El Al, and a former security agent, Isaac Yeffet, had some very interesting opinions about the issue. He says that the bomber would never been allowed on an El Al flight because his own father told the American Embassy he was going to Yemen to train with terrorists. He was incredulous that his visa wasn't revoked immediately based on this information alone.
Yeffet says the backscatter machines just humiliate people by stripping them naked and doesn't think they add anything to the security. He says it's ridiculous to stop people from using the restroom an hour before landing: that just tells the terrorists to blow up the plane an hour and a half before landing. Instead, El Al knows who every person is before he or she gets on the plane, they question passengers and they send trained agents into the airport to look for people who are acting suspiciously. Take a look:
