Politics

Security Theater Goes Underground

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David Alpert is making sense:

Following news that the FBI orchestrated its own, fake Metro bombing plot to catch a potential terrorist, Metro transit police are already pondering instituting useless "security theater" methods like random bag searches.

Bag searches look good but don't do anything. Anyone can simply turn around and enter a different station. If someone wanted to bomb a station, they just wouldn't do it when the bag searches are taking place. As I discussed on yesterday's Kojo Nnamdi show, we've spent far too much money building security barriers around buildings or running big "show of force" exercises….

Besides, is there really a specific threat to Metro at all?

The Post reported this morning that the idea to bomb Metro came from the FBI. In other words, no terrorist (that we know of) actually was planning to hit Metro. The FBI could easily have suggested any other target. If they had suggested Ben's Chili Bowl, would we now be talking about the need to beef up security in half-smoke shops?