Shoe Bomber Passed Screening Last Week in Houston

Imagine that you are an airport screener. The X-ray of a man's carry-on bag displays an apparent laptop computer. You ask the man if he has a laptop. He says no. You look in his bag and find a laptop. You also find a clock with a 9-volt battery taped to it and a copy of the Quran. You examine the man's shoes and find that the soles have been gutted out.

A responsible law enforcement officer is called and determines that the man is no threat even though he has all the attributes of a shoe bomber without the actual explosives. The man was cleared for travel.

That's pretty much what happened last week at the Houston Hobby Airport. One has to wonder if a rational thinking person would have made the same call. I think not and some heads should roll on this incident.

Debbie Schlussel has the story.