Former Intel officer to head TSA

It's really no surprise that President Obama turned to a retired career Army intelligence officer to lead the Transportation Security Administration. He announced his intention on Monday to nominate retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert Harding to become administrator of the TSA.

His appointment comes just three months after a near catastrophe on Christmas Day on a commercial flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. A would-be terrorist attempted to blow up the plane but was thwarted at the last minute by a passenger. The incident underscored the dangers in the sky these days for commercial flights, both domestic and international. And it comes at a time when the TSA is under intense pressure to increase its security systems and make them airtight to prevent terrorist attacks.

"Bob's national security expertise and extensive experience in the intelligence community and U.S. Army will be a great asset to the department in our efforts to ensure the safety of the nation's transportation systems," said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in a statement.

For more on the TSA:
- see this govexec.com article

Related Articles:
TSA develops new screening tests
Sober Intel warnings about cyberattacks