This big news today was the Department of Homeland Security's announcement that terrorists are considering surgically implanting bombs to evade airport security measures imposed by the United States. It is good that Homeland Security is thinking ahead and anticipating potential threats, but why are they just now waking up to this very real threat?
In 2006, Colombian smugglers were caught smuggling surgically implanted heroin inside of live puppies. If the drug smugglers thought of implanting drugs inside of animals, is it not completely logical that suicide bombers would think to implant bombs inside of their own bodies? After all, if the bomber is going to blow up himself anyway, why should we think he would have any reservations about having the bomb implanted? People routinely get breast implants, butt implants, pectoral implants, etc. just to look good. A bomb could easily be implanted and concealed with similar surgeries. If a terrorist is dedicated enough to die just for a chance to kill others, having a bomb implanted is a relatively small sacrifice to make.
Also, what is the big concern with surgically implanted bombs all of a sudden? Smugglers have been swallowing and smuggling drugs for decades. The terrorists could use the "swallow and smuggle" method as well. Of course, there are other body cavities such as rectums and vaginas that could be used to conceal bombs. Body bombs are a threat, and they have been since criminals figured out the human body is a pretty effective place to hide contraband.
Here is the alarming part. If a suicide bomber chooses to place a bomb inside of his (or her) body, the TSA's current security procedures are unlikely to detect the bomb. So, what does this mean? We will either continue along with the TSA's current methods of performing security theater to appease the public, or the TSA will become even more invasive in its searches of innocent citizens.
Right now, the TSA is just looking under our clothes. Next, they are going to want to look under our skin. Do not be surprised if, in the near future, the TSA wants to X-ray people before each flight. Sure, that will involve very unhealthy doses of radiation, but we will not have to worry about it long, because the TSA will convince us they came up with a way to make the radiation safe. If that sounds hard to believe, just look at all of the airline passengers marching through those radiation-based full-body scanners. A logical person would assume all of those repeated exposures to radiation might pose some considerable health risks, but the TSA tells us there is no reason to worry, and most of us believe them.
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