Outside the Beltway

One has to love the Telegraph headline “Drone kills white al-Qaeda pair in Pakistan mountains.”

A new poll shows that the American public is discontented, nervous about the economy, not entirely sure they can trust the new GOP majority in Congress, and has no idea what it wants from Washington. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Is the West’s string of luck about to end?

Those of us who think we’re overreacting to terrorism should remember that we’re in a tiny minority.

Sarah Palin has taken to her Facebook page to raise “Serious Questions about the Obama Administration’s Incompetence in the WikiLeaks Fiasco.” They’re more interesting than I’d expected.

Another FBI sting operation results in the arrest of a “terrorist,” or did it create a crime where none existed before?

Somali-born teenager plotted to carry out a car bomb attack at a crowded Christmas tree lighting ceremony in downtown Portland on Friday, but the bomb turned out to be a dud supplied by undercover agents as part of a sting.

Gate Rape: Sexual groping of one’s genitalia at airport security by agents after a traveler refuses full body x-ray search.

If some security “experts” get their way, the security procedures we encounter at airports could start showing up elsewhere. Will Americans stand for it?

Looking to avoid airport body scanners? You might not be able to do it on any form of public transit if Janet Napolitano gets her way.

Top administration and congressional officials can skip the indignities of airport screening, even when they fly commercial.

Gel shoe inserts are not permitted on airplanes, so save yourself the hassle and put your inserts in your checked baggage — that’s right, inserts are not even allowed in your carry-on. Shoes constructed with gel heels are allowed but like all other shoes, must be removed and screened.

Despite the recent media outrage over TSA search procedures, public attitudes on the subject remain largely supportive.

It’s not hypocritical or racist to support an aggressive pursuit of terrorists while getting outraged over abuses of Americans’ liberties.

President Obama’s response to the outrage that has accompanied new TSA screening procedures at America’s airports is incredibly non-responsive.

A retired special education teacher was left humiliated, crying and covered with his own urine after an enhanced pat-down by TSA officers.

“It is not comfortable to come to work knowing full well that my hands will be feeling another man’s private parts, their butt, their inner thigh. Even worse is having to try and feel inside the flab rolls of obese passengers and we seem to get a lot of obese passengers!”

Ron Paul has introduced a law (the “American Traveler Dignity Act”) that would punish TSA agents for groping and x-raying Americans.

Cathy Bossi, a U.S. Airways stewardess and cancer survivor, was forced to show her breast implants to TSA agents when her prosthetic implants triggered alarm during a pat-down.

Are the American people finally waking up to the absurdity of TSA security theater? One can only hope they are.

The Denver Post’s Craig Walker has captured this image of a TSA agent performing an “enhanced pat down.”

The first civilian trial of a Guantanamo detainee ends with the Defendant being acquitted on all but one charge, and shows us why the entire process is little more than a show trial.

Terrorism risk assessment: Russia at “Extreme Risk”, Greece at “High Risk”, U. S. at “Medium Risk”, Canada and Germany at “Low Risk”.

A Florida courthouse illegally saved 35,000 images from security scanners.

So will there be an efficacious backlash against TSA policies? I am guessing no.

It appears that full body scanners, operated by leering yahoos under the cover of government authority, may finally be rousing the sheep who have meekly submitted to the absurd delays and indignities that have been piled on since 9/11 and sundry botched attempts.

We’re probably just one big scare away from mandatory full-body scans.

Thanks to a combination of good intelligence and fast action, it looks like the U.S. and UK avoided a serious attack on airliners last week.

Another undercover sting nets a would-be terrorist.

Police in Turkey have arrested 12 people suspected of links to Islamist militant network al-Qaeda in Istanbul and Van province.

Tumblr called “Pictures of Muslims Wearing Things” shows that there’s no such thing as “Muslim garb.”

Apparently Juan Williams is really, really, really important.

Sarah Palin and the Tea Party aren’t as clueless as their detractors think.