The Transportation Security Administration compromised security testing of airport security screeners at as many as 11 airports by sending out an e-mail about the tests and failing to report the compromise, according to a report released Friday by the Department of Homeland Security inspector general.

On April 28, 2006, an unidentified official in TSA’s Office of Security Operations sent the e-mail to an internal distribution list with the subject of “Notice of Possible Security Test.” While the e-mail was “recalled” 14 minutes later by the OSO’s assistant administrator, the inspector general found that 187 of the 388 users of the mailing list had already read it, including four individuals at three airports which were about to be tested by the IG.

The e-mail “provided key details about our covert airport security testing program, including our test methodology and the physical description of one of our undercover testers,” the report said. “TSA’s disclosure of our covert testing procedures was inappropriate and interfered with a legitimate function of our office. In addition, at no time did any TSA official inform us that our testing was compromised.”

The TSA disagreed strongly with the conclusions, saying that it never intended to tip off covert testing and that its sending out of the e-mail message about the upcoming tests did not actually compromise anything, and this under idiot Kip Hawley’s own hand. You can read the report (Kip Hawley’s response is attached to it) and judge for yourself.

While you’re judging, listen to what a TSA spokesman had to say about the report:

“There’s no evidence that the release of the message compromised covert testing,” said TSA spokesman Greg Soule. “There was never any intention or an attempt to circumvent covert testing. This incident happened two years ago, changes have been made to the field communications system, including a high-level review to ensure this type of event doesn’t occur again.” — Nextgov

I’d be more inclined to believe it if this was the first time such a compromise had happened, but it isn’t. TSA officials at San Francisco International Airport compromised airport security testing there in 2003-2004. That’s just one incident that comes to mind offhand. And the reason there’s such testing in the first place is that TSA is so focused on illegal water bottles that it consistently misses fake bombs — and real ones.

Most of the screeners on the front lines of airport security might be trying to keep people safe in the only way they know how, but some of the management above them clearly have some strange ideas about what constitutes security. So you’ll forgive me if I don’t fly anywhere as long as the TSA exists in its current form.