We can't see the forest for the trees.

All this blustering and hand-wringing about airport security avoids the real question: How do we prevent people from wanting to blow us up?

The fanatics will always devise ways to circumvent airport security protocols, so spending all our resources there is a waste.

Three courses:

1) Better law enforcement. Infiltrate terrorist networks and stop them before they get to the execution phase. Like the author said, once they arrive at the airport, it's already too late.

2) Work with the Muslim community to help them spot the fanatics and potential teroorists in their midst and give them the tools to weed them out. We need to work with the largely peaceful Muslim community and not see all of them as adversaries.

3) Work to revise our policies in the Middle East and elsewhere where our actions have engendered hatred towards us. These people who attack us are doing it out of REVENGE, not because they're just some crazy nihilists. Why don't they attack Sweden or New Zealand if they really "hate freedom", as our clueless president claims? They hate us because of what we've done to them, so we need to stop doing it.

First, to Non-American, do you really think that it's a good idea to encourage American xenophobia and isolationism, or were you just trolling for angry responses?

Secondly, The Register, a British tech magazine, has just posted a fairly good article about the feasability of binary liquid bombs.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/17/flying_toilet_terror_labs/

Their conclusion is that even if the bombers had gotten the required ingredients for TATP on-board, the explosive chosen was unlikely to do more than destroy the toilet and the terrorist, and that the TSA and Home Office ought to watch fewer action movies.

The last time I flew, I was selected for a special security check. It was time consuming, expensive, and a waste of both time and money. Answer this question several times before you resort to the lowest common denominator, and call me a racist bigot: When was the last time you read about a Caucasian male, 50's, travelling with his wife and children blowing up an airplane? When was the last time you read about a Mexican male, 50's travelling with his wife and kids blowing up an airplane? When was the last time you read about an African American male, 50's travelling with his wife and kids blowing up an airplane.

When was the last time you read of an Arabic male 19-35, Muslim, travelling alone or with other Arabic males, 19-35, Muslim, blowing up an airplane....

If your life depended on choosing one or the other... If you would be held solely accountable for the safety of your family based on choosing one or the other, which would you choose?

Humans survive, in part, based on their ability to stereotype. When you see a snake you become cautious. Why? because you are a snake bigot? No. Because you have learned that snakes can be dangerous. More dangerous than say, kittens.

Why are we now disregarding what is known and what has been proven to help us survive? The answer is political correctness. The dumbing-down of the human race (particularly Americans).

Prepare to bow down and pay ever more to terrorists and criminals. Let's hope it is not too late when we have had enough, and bring about common sense change

Poco

This is a result of using the wrong words to describe terrorism. September 11th wasn't an act of war, it was a massive crime. Poice work is the best and only way to really stop terrorism. It is much like the supposed "war on drugs" or when some idiot declares a "war on crime". What are you going to invade?

I can picture it now, Bush decides to take the "war on poverty" seriously so he sends the army into poor neighborhoods in order to root out people who insist on staying poor. He begins to take the "war on illiteracy" seriously so the National Guard is sent into emelentary schools everywhere, shooting children who refuse to read "the pet goat" or whatever Bush's favorite book is that week.

Sept 11th was this administration's fault. That they can continue to make this country less safe with idiocy in Iraq, with forcing the hand of the British police, with peddling fear whenever they can in a desperate attepmt to retain power is a disgrace.

Based on the numerous suggestions that some sort of racial, age, sex profiling is the best way to sort out potential agents of terror and destruction, why don't the airlines just organize their schedules with restrictions built in, and let the fare paying public decide.

For example:

LA/London Mondays White people only; no accents other than American/English

LA/London Tuesdays Whites, asians, and islanders

LA/London Wednesdays Everybody except Muslins; lie-detector test to confirm religion

LA/London Thursdays Open House - everyone welcome

LA/London Fridays Everyone welcome - except whites (to make up for mondays)

LA/London Sat&Sun Everyone welcome, but must be 55 or older

I mean really, are we not the most comfortable with "our own kind"; this would make menus easier to design also.

Patrick,

You eloquently articulated the current frustration many of us feel with our new, terror-ridden world. My impression of the 'fluid' situation is this:

True, there were no consequences to travellers in the wake of the Phillipine plot because nothing happened. But since 9-11, the demons that have bothered security professionals for a long time (the old liquid explosive in the wine bottle scenario is an old one) seem more relevant. While the TSA attempts to 'get a handle on' the situation, this was what they felt they had to do for now. That said, I acknowledge that CNN, FOX etc are in the business of ensuring that we remain terrified at all times. News has evolved into the best reality show entertainment and as long as we, the public, choose to remain terrified and glued to the TV and the internet, the infinite loop of hysteria will not end. The airlines will continue to flail and the travelling public will opt out of flying altogether because of this hell we collectively enjoy courtesy of Muslim extremists and the media.

By the way..I notice that the big news alllll morning long today (8/17) is Jon Benet Ramsey