"If you fly out of Logan Airport and don't want to take off your shoes for the security screeners and get your bags opened up, pay attention. The US government is testing its "Trusted Traveler" program, and Logan is the fourth test airport. Currently, only American Airlines frequent fliers are eligible, but if all goes well the program will be opened up to more people and more airports."

Bruce Schneier is criticizing the "Trusted Traveler" program currently being testing by some airlines. Mr. Schneier mentions Boston Logan airport; I believe it is also being tested at New York's JFK.

He claims that terrorists will slip into the program, then will be able to board airliners with less scrutiny. Normally, I find Mr. Schneier interesting and on-the-money, but I have to disagree with him on this point.

In practice, these programs have proven to be effective. El Al has had a similar program in place for some time, and it is difficult to argue with their 100% safety record. I believe that a Dutch airline has a similar program of background checks plus on the spot biometric checks.

He also seems to confuse two issues:

"Sometimes the results are bizarre. Screeners have searched children and people in wheelchairs. In 2002, Al Gore was randomly stopped and searched twice in one week. And last week Senator Edward Kennedy told about being flagged and denied boarding because the computer decided he was on some "no fly" list."

This is a uniquely American problem. Screeners in the U.S., as is the Transportation Security Agency, are afraid of being accused of "racial profiling." So, rather than inspections based on some kind of pattern or specific intelligence, U.S. screeners practice random inspections. random inspections cause things like the harassment of Senator Kennedy and Vice President Gore [this is true], while allowing Richard Reid on the plane. Note that El Al flagged Reid as a risk, strip searched him, and questioned him for several hours before denying him access to a flight [this is also true].