The Transportation Security Administration is battling a viral wave of criticism after multiple stories have emerged of all-too-intimate full-body pat-downs. Happy Thanksgiving indeed! With the holiday rush set to spike next week, travelers are beginning to ask questions: What should I expect as I go through airport security this year? Will TSA make our children cry? Will they touch our junk? After speaking with a TSA spokesperson, and extensively researching the issue, NewsFeed thinks we've uncovered some basic answers to your most urgent concerns: Commonly asked question: What's new regarding screening procedures this year? The info we found: Sixty-eight airports around the country now have full-body scanners, which work by walking into the machine and raising your arms. An X-ray is then taken of each side of your body and analyzed by TSA officials. The new scanners are much more advanced than previous ones and produce X-rays with rather detailed images of travelers' bodies. Some might say too detailed and revealing. If your airport now has full-body scanners, you can expect that this will be the primary scanning tool being used. So, can the TSA see underneath my clothes with these full-body scans? In a sense, yes. The scans see beneath outer attire to offer a chalky picture of a person's body, as well as any hidden objects that may be beneath the clothing. According to the TSA, the faces of those being scanned are blurred out, the images are not recorded nor saved onto a database, the pictures cannot be printed off and all images are immediately destroyed once analyzed. TSA says the images are viewed in a private room by TSA officials, with the identities of travelers remaining anonymous. But these claims have not prevented organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, of alleging that the new scanners violate Americans' privacy. Also, TSA Spokesperson Nick Kimball says that the recent reports linking TSA's scanners to the leak of 100 body scan photos from a security checkpoint in a U.S. Marshals office in Florida is misleading. "That incident is completely separate from the TSA," Kimball said. "The TSA doesn't have the ability to store or print anything." Can I refuse to submit to a full-body scan? Yes, but you then must undergo a mandatory pat-down. If I submit to a full-body scan, could I still be subjected to a pat-down? Yes. Pat-downs will still be performed on a random basis, or if a traveler sets off traditional metal detectors, wears bulky clothing or refuses to remove headwear, How intimate does TSA get these days with the pat-downs? Pretty intimate. With the new rules in effect, the TSA can now use a sliding motion to pat down travelers, which can include checking inner thighs and buttocks. That sliding technique prompted the viral “don't touch my junk” video. If a traveler is wearing baggy pants, inspectors may also slide their hands beneath the waist line to check for objects. Will pat-downs make me miss my flight? Not likely. The pat-downs last around 2 minutes, whereas going through a full-body scanner takes only about 30 seconds. But if enough travelers opt for pat-downs, prepare for long lines. How many full-body scanners are operational? TSA has unveiled 385 full-body scanners all around the country, including at Dulles International in Washington, D.C., Logan International in Boston and JFK and LaGuardia in New York - some of the busiest airports in the world. So why am I hearing so much about these new security procedures this week? On Oct. 28, the TSA announced new rules in screening procedures (or what they termed an "unpredictable mix of security layers"). While the procedures are constantly in flux, the change came after the attempted Christmas Day bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, tried to detonate plastic explosives hidden in his underwear mid-flight. Bottom line: I've got a plane to catch, how can I get through security as quickly as possible? There are three things the TSA recommends, Kimball says: 1. Have your ID ready before you reach an agent. You would be surprised how much time is wasted in fumbling for identification. 2. Take off your coat and shoes, and remove your laptop from your bag right away. Again: Many people don't do this initially, causing an unneeded delay. 3. Obey the 311 rule regarding liquids. And one helpful addition, courtesy of NewsFeed: Whatever you do, don't get unruly with TSA officials (or you may get an $11,000 fine). Now enjoy the holiday. Save us some pumpkin pie (yes to the whipped cream, no to the ice cream).
Afghanistan could experience "eye-watering" levels of violence after foreign combat troops withdraw from Afghanistan in four years' time, the Nato representative in Kabul warned today. Mark Sedwill, the civilian counterpart to US commander General David Petraeus, also said that the target of handing over security responsibilities to the Afghan army and police by the end of 2014 might not be met. The alliance's plan for the "transition" of responsibilities from Nato's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to the still embryonic Afghan army and police will be high on the agenda at this week's Nato summit in Lisbon. Many European countries that contribute troops see the plan as their ticket out of an unpopular war, but Sedwill warned that success was not guaranteed and the 2014 date was merely an "inflection point" in a campaign that would continue for a long time. In some areas of the country transition could run "to 2015 and beyond" he said. Although the alliance hopes that foreign-led counterinsurgency operations will come to an end, troops would still be required to train and support the Afghan security forces and maintain "a strategic over watch" position, he said. In such a scenario special forces units would be required to remain and fight, he said, in addition to the logistical support, training and equipment provided for Afghan units. Sedwill said that with so many uncertainties, Nato's 2014 deadline was "realistic but not guaranteed". Nato is refusing to announce where the transition process will start for fear of turning those districts into targets for insurgents to increase their operations and mount intimidation campaigns against government officials. Sedwill said that he expected Nato to hand over several provinces in the first half of next year. However, he said the transfer of responsibility for both security and development activities would vary across the country. The Afghan police and army are being built up at breakneck speed. Both institutions remain beset with problems, including widespread illiteracy and drug abuse. The army has also struggled to recruit among southern Pashtuns, the group that predominates in areas of the country most affected by insurgency. The head of the Nato training mission, General William Caldwell, has complained that he does not have enough trainers to meet the transition deadline. The attempt to create an army and police up to the job of taking over requires vast sums of money. Even after they have been built up to strength, officials say they will cost around $6bn (£3.7bn) a year to run – about half of Afghanistan's current GDP and more than the US gives to both Israel and Egypt. Sedwill said the IMF had calculated that Afghanistan woukd not be able to pay for its own security forces until 2023.
III. EMG - Poll: FYROMacedonians wish for NATO, EU membership, but refuse changing of their country's name
FYROMacedonia's accession to NATO and the European Union enjoys the support of 79,8 percent of the citizens, with 62,6 percent being against the change of the country's name, shows a poll of the Institute for Political Research, conducted on November 12-15 on a sample of 1,111 respondents. 30,7 percent would vote at a referendum in favor of amending the country's name for NATO, EU membership. 37,2 percent would vote for such move at a referendum on name proposal, supported by all parliamentary parties, against 53,2 percent. A total of 46,6 percent considered the European Commission's Report on Macedonia's progress towards EU membership as positive, 28,4 as negative, while 25,4 had no answer.
IV. RIANOVOSTI - Japanese PM says considering visit to Kuril Islands
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on Wednesday that a possible visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, called the Northern Territories by Japan, deserved careful consideration. "Given how important the prime minister's visit [to the islands] is, it must be considered seriously. At the moment I do not have any concrete plans," Kan said in a speech to the Japanese parliament. Earlier this month, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev aggravated a long-standing dispute over four of the islands, by becoming the first Russian or Soviet leader to visit one of them. Both countries have laid claims to the islands since they were occupied by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II and the dispute has prevented them from signing a peace treaty to formally end wartime hostilities. The Japanese premier reiterated Japan's stance on the status of the islands. "Japan's principal position that the Northern Territories are part of our country and that the territorial dispute must be resolved through the signing of a peace treaty, has not changed," he said. Last week Medvedev met with Kan during the APEC summit in the Japanese city of Yokohama. Medvedev invited Kan to visit "any part of Russia, including the Far East." Kan said he "wanted to develop friendly relations between Russia and Japan on a basis of trust, as between two partners."
Many commentators give at least partial credit for India's economic success to the political institutions left in place by British colonialism. Fareed Zakaria, for instance, believes India "got very lucky" in that its first generation of post-independence leaders "nurture the best traditions of the British" including "courts, universities [and] administrative agencies." But a new study by Lakshmi Iyer of the Harvard Business School casts some doubt on whether British governing institutions really has a postivie economic impact in the long run. Here's the abstract: "This paper compares economic outcomes across areas in India that were under direct British colonial rule with areas that were under indirect colonial rule. Controlling for selective annexation using a specific policy rule, I find that areas that experienced direct rule have significantly lower levels of access to schools, health centers, and roads in the postcolonial period. I find evidence that the quality of governance in the colonial period has a significant and persistent effect on postcolonial outcomes." The finding is particularly interesting given that Iyer also shows that the areas directly annexed by the British tended be those with higher agricultural productivity. Despite their potential, these areas "did not invest as much as native states in physical and human capital." Iyer's paper provides an interesting companion to another recent study by Alexander Lee and Kenneth Schultz of Stanford, which compared economic outcomes of formerly British and formerly French districts of Cameroon: "[W]e focus on the West African nation of Cameroon, which includes regions colonized by both Britain and France. Taking advantage of the artificial nature of the former colonial boundary, we use it as a discontinuity within a national demographic survey. We show that rural areas on the British side of the discontinuity have higher levels of wealth and local public provision of improved water sources. Results for urban areas and centrally-provided public goods show no such effect, suggesting that post-independence policies also play a role in shaping outcomes. Taken together, the moral of these studies could be that colonalism isn't great for a country's future political and economic wellbeing, but if a country is going to be colonized, they're better off with the British than the French. It's also very possible that the legacy of colonialism -- whether positive or negative -- manifests differently in national rather than local governance. Although on a purely anecdotal level, the French vs. British distinction seems to hold there as well.
Palestinian security sources reported Wednesday that the Palestinian Authority has arrested a cell of Hamas operatives planning to carry out a suicide attack in Jerusalem, kidnap settlers, and assassinate the governor of Nablus. The sources say the cell, from the northern part of the West Bank, was located mainly in Nablus. Ma'an news agency reported that the men, members of the Izz a-Din al-Qassam Brigades, were in direct contact with Hamas in Gaza. The cell was in possession of a booby-trapped vehicle, apparently intended for use in an attack, the report added. Large sums of cash and weapons were also confiscated. A Palestinian security source told Ynet that the authority arrests armed Hamas operatives almost every day. He said there has recently been a surge in their numbers in the West Bank, with operatives attempting attacks against the Palestinian Authority as well as Israeli targets. "Hamas is trying to mobilize sleeper cells, but we have been successful in thwarting all of their attempts so far," the source said, adding that dozens have been arrested in the past few weeks alone.
VII. LAGNIAPPE - The Cave of the Apocalypse replica another reason to visit Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church
Since there is no airport on Patmos Island in Greece, one must travel by plane, automobile and boat in order to get there. The trip would cost roughly $1,700 and take a couple of days. So for those short on cash or time, venturing to Midtown Mobile may just be the next best thing. Five small, golden lanterns hang from the ceiling, illuminating the rigid texture of the walls. Religious tapestries and paintings cover one side of the cave and the rest is bare rock. Sounds of a Byzantine chant fills the chamber and everything is still — just like it was in 94 A.D. The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, located on South Ann Street, is currently home to a replica of one of the most iconic landmarks in Biblical history — The Cave of the Apocalypse. This cave is where John the Apostle is said to have written the Book of Revelations. In early October, Mobilians Robert Vrocher and Mitch Halstead began designing and constructing this replica. Using only plywood, Saran Wrap and foam insulation, these two men turned a room that is typically used for meetings and classes, into a replica of a historic landmark. Vrocher says the idea to build this replica came from Makis Foropoulos, the head Chanter — or assistant to the priest — in the church. Foropoulos is a native of Patmos who moved to Mobile in 1967. "With the bazaar coming through (Greek Fest), it was a good excuse to build this,” Foropoulos said. "It’s a very important part of history. Close to 15,000 people came to the festival this year, and the majority of them got a chance to visit the cave, according to Foropoulos. Even though this is merely a replica, the similarity between this 16x16 exhibit and the actual cave is uncanny. The foam walls of the cave are so rich in detail and texture that the idea of the structure not actually being rock never crosses your mind. Protected by a small gate, there is a hole extending about six inches into the wall. In Patmos, this is where John is said to have laid his head while he received the Revelation from God. The roof of the cave drops from 7 feet to 5 feet and displays a large split in the ceiling, just like in the cave. "The cave ceiling began to collapse when John received the Revelation,” Vrocher said. "It split into three sections, signifying the Holy Trinity.” Tours of the exhibit are free. Anyone who wishes to schedule a visit, either personal or group, may do so by making an appointment with the church’s office at 438-9888.