Culture is an evasive topic. Each definition of the term “culture” seems to contradict the previous one. And when one wanders into the land of “cross culture”, you are really on shaky ground. Yet we are regularly treated to one expert or another exposing us to “cross cultural” explanations as to how the world works. As a matter of fact, currently the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is adopting a whole new set of “cross cultural” perception procedures that are likely to cause extreme distress for travelers into and around the United States.
Before we discuss the new TSA program, let’s go back to the shootings in 2005 of the American citizen of Costa Rican heritage, Rigberto Alpizar, and Brazilian citizen Jean Charles de Menezes by American and British security officers in Miami and London respectively. Official reports issued on the killings of both men indicated that they were exhibiting “suspicious behavior” and were eventually killed because of their behavior. Alpizar, on an airplane, and de Menzes, in a subway, were judged to be “suspected” terrorists by the officials that killed them although, after their deaths, neither weapons nor bombs were not found on either man and no “terrorist” connections have surfaced from either case. The common thread in both cases appeared to be that both men were “dark-skinned” and running. And, in the case of de Menzes, wearing a “heavy coat” in the summer, was stated as one of the justifications for targeting him. Later pictures showed that de Menzes was wearing a normal denim jacket.
Last week in front page story in USA Today, the TSA announced that it is planning to train screeners at 40 major airports this year to “pick out possible terrorists in a casual conversation to detect whether a person appears nervous or evasive and needs extra scrutiny.” This behavior identification program is already in use at various airports. According to the article, some airport and transit police already look for people acting oddly “such as wearing a heavy coat in the summer appearing to be doing surveillance” and question them about travel plans.
“I don’t want officers just sitting there waiting for a call to come in. I want them observing people, observing their behavior and engaging them in conversation. They’re looking for people whose activities don’t look right, said Alvy Dodson, public safety director at Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) International Airport in an interview with USA Today. Last year, 70 percent of DFW’s 167 airport police were trained in the cross-cultural behavioral program.
Carl Maccario, a TSA program analyst at Boston’s Logan Airport recently said that as he watched a security tape of three Sept. 11 hijackers going through Dulles International Airport not one of them looked at security guards. “They all looked away and had their heads down,” Maccario said. He went on to say that avoiding eye contact with authorities is the kind of behavior that could indicate someone may be planning a terrorist attack. “The fear of discovery changes people’s behavior and body language,” Maccario stated.
So it makes real sense to use this innovative cross-cultural cost effective technique called behavior detection or behavior pattern detection, right? This way we can catch the terrorists before the terrorize us, correct? Unfortunately, it’s not quite that easy and it also might be very dangerous to many innocent travelers.
Firstly, according to most security experts, security should not be the first line of defense but the last line of defense against terrorism. The first line is intelligence. It is most important to know who the bad guys are, where they are and what they are planning to do. Security needs to be proactive not reactive.
Secondly, real cross-cultural expertise and correct interpretation of the behavior of someone from another culture is, at best, very complex and possibly even an unattainable goal. Most experts in the field will tell you that the only cultural universal is that there are no cultural universals. To interpret someone’s behavior as “suspicious” will usually be a personal call on the part of the observer. And someone with mental problems such as Mr. Rigoberto Alpizar, who was running down the airplane aisle in Miami with his wife trailing him allegedly screaming, “He has bipolar disorder”, did not prevent the official who shot him from still considering his behavior “suspicious” and besides, he had “dark skin.”
Thirdly, there is simply no way that behavioral profiling can be considered cost effective. As a friend in the antiterrorism business said, siphoning off finite antiterrorism dollars tasked for something that at the very best is not even marginally effective is the equivalent of playing the lottery in order to pay your debts.
Additionally, while there might be a small chance of capturing some nutcase with this method, well-organized fanatical groups will simply train their operatives to act in an open, friendly and cooperative manner. And they might even chose blue-eyed light-skinned operatives in the future.
Regarding Saudis and their behavior, although TSA officials will tell you that they don’t use racial or ethnic profiling, a US Immigration and Customs official testified before the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States in 2004 on Saudi behavior. This gentleman said that his job at the Orlando Florida airport required him to know the difference between legitimate travelers to the United States and those who are not and “this includes terrorists.” He stated that he had dealt with and observed many different cultures over his many years as a customs inspector and had “skills” that he had acquired in a training class in understanding different cultures. He stated that he had observed many Saudi nationals who came with their families to Disneyland through the Orlando airport.
The customs official continued saying that on Aug. 4, 2001, he was assigned the case of a Saudi gentleman who had arrived in Orlando from London. The case had been referred to him because the Saudi gentleman appeared suspicious. The customs official told the Commission that the Saudi...”had a military appearance. Upon establishing eye contact, he exhibited body language and facial gestures that appeared arrogant. In fact, when I first called his name in the secondary room and matched him with papers, he had a deep staring look.” The customs official continued, “the bottom line is he gave me the creeps”. Fortunately, this Saudi “terrorist suspect” who was tried and convicted on the spot by the customs official, was not shot but rather forced to return to London.
So there you have it: Cross-cultural behavioral analysis based on 16 hours of training at the customs school. Could it be possible that people who put their heads down when going by officials or people of authority do so because in their culture, you don’t look directly in someone’s eyes who is authoritative or that you don’t know?
And after TSA finishes their behavior detection training and implements the program all over the United States might we not see more incidents of innocent people being maimed or shot because of the way they move, act or look?
