Based on the discussions at the event, it is evident that body scanners can be easily defeated by concealing explosive materials in body cavities, the letter says. There is also little information on the health risks posed by the use of such scanners, according to the letter. The fact that the systems can be configured at any time to record and store images of travelers also raises privacy questions, the letter says.
"The public does not currently understand the inability of these devices to detect the types of explosive materials that could be used or the possible risks to privacy and health," Rotenberg and Nader wrote. "The Department of Homeland Security has made significant mistakes with similar programs in the past," they added, citing as an example the agency's discontinued effort to equip airports with so-called explosive trace portals (ETP), which are designed to detect traces of explosives on travelers' clothing.
Shannon Elricksen on 16 Jun 09The small township of Paro as the gateway to the kingdom of Bhutan. In the city alone, however, there are many points of engagement that make Paro a destination in it's own right. Along the main street you will find the best and most complex sampling of traditional archictecture in the country: two lines of richly decorated buildings house small shops, institutions and restaurants. However, the most interesting place in the kingdom is the Paro Dzong, a beautiful fortress and monastery overlooking the valley above which it was built.
