Airport Screening Still Falls Short, Tests Find

According to the results of confidential government tests taken last November, airport screeners are still not detecting all knifes, guns, and explosives that pass through checkpoints. Although these test results are approximately the same as tests taken earlier in the year, according to a Congressional aide, scores still need improvement. Explosives are the hardest to identify by screeners. Concern over explosives has increased since August when two Russian airliners were destroyed by Chechen suicide bombers. Clark Kent Ervin, inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, released a final report regarding these tests this week, which included recommendations for improving screeners' ability to detect explosives. The Transportation Security Administration is already testing some new technologies.