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The question you have to ask yourself is whether the extra security measures would prevent something like the latest terrorist attempt from occurring in future,
by motters 17y ago
The question you have to ask yourself is whether the extra security measures would prevent something like the latest terrorist attempt from occurring in future, and the answer is usually "no". The news reports are claiming that explosives were smuggled onboard in the guy's underwear, so in the near future security checks at airports might be about to become a whole lot more degrading than they already are.
When I visited the US some years ago I went through a machine which looked a bit like the inside of the TARDIS, which was supposed to sniff for explosives. Obviously that mustn't have worked in this case, or perhaps it was all just pure theatre and the machine never really did what it was advertised to do.
- m_eiman 17y ago... which was supposed to sniff for explosives. Obviously that mustn't have worked in this case, ... You're assuming that he had actual explosives. From what little I've read so far they've said that it was some kind of "chemical", which expands the possibilities quite a bit beyond explosives. Either way, I notice something that might be the beginning of the end of the "air travel safety" spectacle: this whole episode is hardly noticable on the front pages of (Swedish) news papers. That hopefully means that increasing regulations in the area will no longer be a way of publicly showing that "you act against terrorism", which should mean fewer new arbitrary rules. Hopefully.
- andrewcooke 17y ago> A preliminary FBI analysis has found that the device allegedly found attached to Mr Abdulmutallab contained the high explosive PETN, also known as pentaerythritol. > PETN was used in the device worn by British "shoe bomber" Richard Reid, who is serving a prison sentence for attempting to blow up a Paris-Miami airliner in Christmas week of 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8431470.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8431470.stm via infowarrior
- m_eiman 17y agoAh, I see. That's apparently something that should have been detected by sniffers. Also of interest while on the subject of airborne terrorists: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/17/flying_toilet_terror_labs/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/17/flying_toilet_terror...
- brk 17y agoThose machines (they were made by GE) have been completely removed from all airports. I believe they worked fairly well, but they didn't scale effectively and people were too freaked out by them.