The TSA and its counterpart in the Netherlands, where Amsterdam Schipol Airport is regarded as one of the most secure in the world, have fielded two types of screening equipment able to detect PETN, a commonly used military and commercial explosive, even if hidden beneath clothing, experts said.
However, the first type, detectors that test swabs wiped on passengers and baggage for traces of explosives, weren’t used because they are generally reserved for travelers who trigger added scrutiny. Abdulmutallab’s name was not placed on TSA watch lists despite warnings by his father to the State Department, officials said.
Abdulmutallab also did not pass through the second type of machine, whole-body imaging scanners that use X-rays or radio waves to detect objects under clothing, equipment that is also used at Schipol. Not all passengers are required to walk through the scanners, whose availability has been limited because of cost, opposition from privacy groups and industry concerns about bottlenecks.
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