Re: Boarding pass scanners now at TSA checkpoints

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Jeffrey Hunker" <hunker () jeffreyhunker com>
Date: September 21, 2009 7:29:42 AM EDT
To: <dave () farber net>
Subject: RE: [IP] Re: Boarding pass scanners now at TSA checkpoints

Two factors bear mentioning with regard to the Maginot Line:

It's my understanding (military historians correct me) that the  
Maginot Line
did not extend to the Franco-Belgium border due to funding constraints  
on
its construction.

And the Germans had adopted a new coordinated tank-infantry-airplane
approach (blitzkrieg) that at least during the first phase of the Second
World War overwhelmed more conventional tactical/strategic thinking  
used by
the Allies. In particular German thinking about tanks was very different
than that of the French (again, military historians correct me, but I
believe that the French thought of tanks as support for infantry --  
hence
small, while the Germans regarded tanks as a standalone force).

Lessons for security include (IMHO) that, not surprisingly, innovative
thinking and the investment to back that thinking matters a great  
deal. And
perhaps that the advantage lies with the attacker in such  
circumstances. The
parallel with TSA seems obvious.

Jeffrey Hunker

-----Original Message-----
From: David Farber [mailto:dave () farber net]
Sent: Sunday, September 20, 2009 2:08 PM
To: ip
Subject: [IP] Re: Boarding pass scanners now at TSA checkpoints



Begin forwarded message:

From: Tom Gray <tom_gray_grc () yahoo com>
Date: September 20, 2009 1:35:57 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net, tom_gray_grc () yahoo com
Subject: Re: [IP] Re: Boarding pass scanners now at TSA checkpoints




On 9/20/09, Russ Nelson <nelson () crynwr com> wrote:
> The Maginot line at least worked.  It forced the
> Nazis to go through the Ardennes Forest.  This "security" system
> isn't going to stop the
> next set of terrorists flying under their own names.


Could we note that the Maginot Line did not force the Germans to go
through the Ardennes. The French and British were convinced that the
Germans would attack through Belgium as they did in WW1. Instead, the
German General Eric von Manstein devised a plan to attack though the
Ardennes. The French and British had sent their major forces north
into Belgium to meet the expected attack. By attacking throught the
Ardennes the Germans came in behind the major Allied forces cutting
them off from the rest of France.

The Germans had originally intended to attack through Belgium as they
had done in WW1. The Maginot Line would not be much of an obstacle as
it later turned out when it was taken in a very short time.  Even the
French were aware of the Maginot Line's shortcomings and had reduced
the garrison in it below minimum levels. Some of the forts were not
manned. Von Manstein's plan had been considered and rejected by the
General Staff. However, he was able to meet personally with Hitler at
a conference and convince him of the merit of his plan

I suppose that teh moral here is not to make the same mistake as the
Allied General Staff did at the beginning of WW2. One must not allow
oneself to be blind to the possibility that the opponent may do
something unexpected. A flexible and evolving security system that can
deal with unexpected contingencies is a requirement.


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