I did not want to provide a blueprint or roadmap for the terrorists, saying 'Here are our new security procedures'.

The bottom line is how do we best provide for the security of the traveling public in light of a determined enemy who is adept at constructing well-designed, well-concealed devices which would not show up in a walk-through metal detector? We're trying to employ the best technology to identify any possible threat.

The reason we are doing these types of pat downs and using the advanced imagery technology is trying to take the latest intelligence and how we know al Qaeda and affiliates want to hurt us, they want to bring down whether it is passenger air craft or cargo aircraft.

I want to improve TSA's counterterrorism focus through intelligence and cutting edge technology, support the TSA workforce, and strengthen the agency's relationships with stakeholders and the traveling public. All of these priorities are interconnected and are vital to TSA's mission - and I would say, all of our collective mission.

We save limited resources in terms of who we are physically screening. The approach will allow us to pay more attention to those potential terrorists.

I particularly recognize that reasonable people can disagree as to what that proper balance or blend is between privacy and security and safety.

I did not want to provide a blueprint or roadmap for the terrorists, saying 'Here are our new security procedures'.