QUIS CUSTODIET IPSOS CUSTODES
Means "Who Polices the Police?"

From the Houston Chronicle:

Air marshals in Houston face drug charges

Two U.S. air marshals face federal drug charges after being arrested last week, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office said today.

The names of the air marshals or details about what they were arrested for were not released by authorities.

However, Time Magazine's Web site said the air marshals were allegedly involved with the possession or transportation of cocaine and may have received thousands of dollars for their work.

The magazine said one of those arrested is a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent.

Click here for the rest.

Hmmm. I have to say that this does not make me feel safer from terrorists. It strikes me that if these guys, hired by the Bush administration to protect air travellers, can be bribed by drug money, then they can also be bribed by terrorists. Certainly, not every air marshall is a rotten egg, but this potential opening for terrorism fits into an overall pattern of Bush failures on homeland security: the lack of protection for chemical and nuclear power plants, the guy who got through customs from Canada carrying the bloody chainsaw that he used to commit murder there, the infamous botched response to Hurricane Katrina, and a whole lot more, all serve notice that our tough-guy, "bring 'em on," Muslim-fighting President is simply not concerned with keeping Americans safe.

This analysis doesn't even begin to address the problems with police culture that might have enhanced the arrogance of these air marshalls enough to get them to work for the other side. But I've railed away on that topic many times in the past.

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