Homeland Security Through Obscurity

The NYT from over the weekend. The administration is contemplating removing security placards from train cars that warn about dangerous chemical contents, ostensibly to make it harder for terrorists to identify targets. In effect, it will make it harder for first responders to deal with accidents and put people in the vicinity at risk.

Gary Bass of OMB Watch is right when he says "You can hide the information, but if the vulnerability still exists, the bad guys will find it...So let's reduce the vulnerability instead." If you use Firefox over Internet Explorer, you know exactly what Mr. Bass is talking about.