Quality logic

The TSA is going to give their screeners extra training.

Hawley said this new training will help screeners catch potential terrorists who may be conducting dry runs through airports.

“We have to assume that that is occurring,” Hawley said. “Our job is to pick up on the clue.”

Uh, what?

Wait, do you mean that based on the total lack of airline-based terroristic events in the past seven years, we have to assume that terrorists are doing 'dry runs', which would provide them with the extra opportunity to get caught?

Right.

Seriously, the myth of the 'dry run' pisses me the hell off. Let's look at it objectively:
*There has been one successful terrorist attack within the 'sterile zone' and one unsuccessful one in the past ten years.
*The successful attack was carried out using 'weapons' that were, at that time, permitted on domestic flights in the US. (Wiki cite) Based on what we know, there would have been no reason for security to stop them.
*The unsuccessful attack was thwarted in no part due to any security screening, but because a flight attendant noticed a passenger lighting matches and, uh, trying to set his shoe on fire. Again, this had nothing to do with airport security.
*No other attacks have been attempted. Yes, someone drove a flaming car into an airport, which again, has nothing to do with airport security and doesn't quite qualify as a concentrated terrorist attack. Yes, some people allegedly were going to blow up some planes, but all we really know is that the reports of that plot were hugely inflated.
*There has never been any terrorist caught doing a 'dry run'. There was this, which was allegedly a dry-run for Operation Bojinka (which, by the way, beat the 2006 'liquid bombers' by ten years). However, they actually detonated a bomb, so calling it a 'dry run' is kind of manipulative. It was a bombing. Also, it had nothing to do with United States airport security.

So...yes. Given all of the above, we obviously must assume that the eeeeevil terrorists are out there doing 'dry runs'. Because there's so much overwhelming evidence that they are.

In other words, the TSA can suck it.