Permanent Emergency

Since 2001 the TSA has accepted responsibility for protecting over two million people a day at US airports and managing transportation operations around the world. But how effective is this oft-maligned agency, and is it really keeping us safe from terrorism?

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We're all familiar with the TSA by now - from the daunting lines to the X-ray machines to the curious three ounce rule governing liquids. But many question whether this strange assortment of regulations, meant to protect the two million people a day travelling through US airports, actually works. In this riveting expose, former TSA administrator Kip Hawley unveils the agency's ongoing battle to outthink and outmaneuver terrorists, navigating bureaucratic limitations and public disdain to stay one step ahead of catastrophe. Citing foiled terrorist plots and near misses that have never been publicly revealed, Hawley suggests that the fundamental flaw in America's approach to national security is the belief that we can plan for every contingency. Instead, he argues, we must learn to manage reasonable levels of risk so we can focus our near-term energy on stopping truly catastrophic events while, in the long-term, engaging passengers to support a less rigid and more sustainable security strategy. This is a fascinating glimpse inside one of the country's most maligned agencies and the complex business of keeping Americans safe every day.