Airport Screens Spot Fake Bomb, Then Let It Fly

D'oh! WNBC is reporting that a Newark, NJ security drill went awry, when a fake bomb in a suitcase was spotted by screeners... and then promptly lost and allowed to load onto a plan to Amsterdam! Apparently, the supervisor planted the faux boomer (designed to look like a plastic explosive) in a suitcase to demonstrate the capabilities of his people. The scanning machines caught the device - alarms went off and everyone patted themselves on the back. Unfortunately, then a baggage handler picked up the bad and let it go.

While not as bad as a report from France, where a REAL bomb was allowed to fly during a security drill, this hardly inspires confidence. Especially in a city that is less than an hour's drive from New York City. The 9/11 bombers flew from Boston. They could just as easily have chosen Newark... especially since the place they had been staying was in NJ.