TSA Chief: Pat Downs are doing what they were intended to do

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>> joining us from washington, tsa administrator john pistole. sir, thank you very much for being on the show this morning.

>> you're welcome. that's quite a lead-in.

>> yes, it is:  it's certainly been the source of a lot of joking. i'll start off with a dead serious question for you. these new rules or guidelines have been put in place for the past couple weeks. have they proven effective? have they found anything? are they worth snit.

>> let me start with the advanced imaging technology machines, we can go back several years with those. we have found all types of things that we would not have picked up through the walk-through metal dedeck tors. the whole purpose of the enhanced pat-downs is to address the challenges we see from the christmas day bomber last year, using a nonmetallic device which would not have been picked up, a bomb that would have killed all the people on the aircraft, of course. so the enhanced pat-downs are designed to identify and disrupt that type of plot. so that's the challenge. how do we best balance the security that everybody wants, everybody wants to get home for the holidays safely.

>> this has become the butt of jokes on "saturday night live." and you went right to the body scanner machines. there are separate issues with that. in terms of the enhanced pat-downs, first of all rnlgs was there a problem with the way we transitioned into them that has led to this conversation getting out of control? then it's like to know if they are working in any way?

>> the two issues there that you addressed is how could we have best rolled this out f you will. we did a couple of pilot projects if you will in two airports, las vegas and boston. the concern was, if we advertise, if you will, that we're doing this in two airports, that meant we had 451 airports around the country where we were not doing that. terrorist whose provide may be ready to do something, by the way, we're not thoroughly screening people for the nonmetallic bombs such as we saw on 12/25. the other part, yes, we have found some things, whether contraband -- typically drugs, of course, whether in the underwear or wherever it might be. that's been an age-old issue.

>> mike barnicle?

>> mr. pistole, mark happen pri halperin is here, some people are reluctant to go through the body scanners because of perceived dangers with radiation, what are the dangers, if any, with radiation?

>> the scientific study that we commissioned before we ever rolled these machines out showed there's complete think safe amount of radiation emitted. that's by national institute of standard technology, fda and john hopkins. we rely on those. we want to work with industry to make sure we have the safest machines available. that is the bottom line. they are safe for everyday use.

>> sir, let me ask you two questions about the two pieces of. this you say the machines are safe for use. would you be willing to go through it four times a week?

>> yes. i travel quite a bit. guy through security screening every time. i have full confidence they're safe and secure.

>> have you been subjected to the full pat-down?

>> yes, i have.

>> and how did you feel about it?

>> well, i felt it was thorough. i felt it was doing exactly what it's designed to do to try to detect somebody is trying to kill hundreds of people on an airplane.

>> okay. guys, what is he supposed to do, seriously? what is he supposed to do given the fact that people are hiding bombs in their underwear or anywhere else?

>> that's what i would like to ask him. mr. pistole, let me ask you this, what do you think it says about us as a culture, as a nation, where we are all up in arms over the past week or so about getting frisked at airports and potential radiation from these machines much more so than we are about the fact that we're engaged in two wars in afghanistan and have a 10.5%, 15% real unemployment rate in this country? what does it say about us?

>> the threats are real. we're facing a determined en any who has proven adept at building, concealing, designing bombs that are going to kill hundreds of people on one aircraft. think eve also done the same on cargo aircraft to effect our economy. so that's the bottom line for me. how can we work in partnership with the american people to provide the safest travel possible and especially this week so people can get home to enjoy time with loved ones.

>> mr. pistole, i was in the airport and people in line with me were saying this can't go on. is there a better way? what are other options? what else have you looked at?

>> i think the key is to look at this as one player as security that we hope to be and are informed by intelligence from around the world such as we saw with the saudi intelligence about the cargo plot. every morning i receive an intelligence brief that helps inform the judgments and actions. the idea is to have as much intelligence as possible about those who may pose a risk before they ever get to the airport. absent that, we try to apply common sense which has not been heard in discussions in the last few weeks. we exempt chish 12 and under because we don't assess they pose a risk to aviation security. we obviously are trying to work through the best intelligence, how that can inform our actions n. final analysis, reasonable people can disagree as to what's proper for them as to privacy and security. everybody wants to make sure everybody else on that flight you're on has been properly screened just as they want to make sure you and i have been properly scleen.

>> tsa administrator john pistole, thanks very much. we appreciate your coming on the show this morning.