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TSA Issues Secret Warning on ‘Catastrophic’ Threat to Aviation
- Someone1234 12y agoI think the reason why they haven't released information on how to combat a Thermite Fire is because, frankly, it cannot be stopped. Even under lab conditions it is only just plausible, but with the limitations of pressure and safety, there's nothing you could have on an aircraft to combat it. All you can do is land ASAP and hope for the best. I very rarely say this, but in this specific case I question why someone would leak this. I'm sure their intent was to get public attention on the issue, but all they're accomplished is giving any potential bad guys notice of what was effective less than three months ago, and reminding them of an attack vector which is hard to combat logistically. Some leaks are in the public good, like Snowden, I am just not sure this specific leak is even if Thermite itself isn't remotely secret or unknown. It is just painting a bullseye on one way of committing an attack. Maybe someone in the DHS leaked this hoping someone would use it, so that the DHS continues to get funding (given the recent struggle to get them re-funded). That's kind of what happened with the Anthrax case (i.e. it got leaked and the USG spent tons more on R&D in that area).