On 2006-Aug 10, at 05:55hrs AM, Russell McMahon wrote: Added [OT] tag. No. They haven't won again. The winning or not happens in the next days and weeks. ^ The winning has already occurred. AGSC ^ Initially, while the extent of the action and the precise nature of the delivery method" is not 100% certain then prudent action is to over-react. That's not terrorists winning - that's fighting with terrorists. Travel chaos is just part of the cost of doing business. ^ Travel chaos is not necessary, it is simply that it has existed for so long people think it is a law of physics. The battle with the terrorists was lost a long time ago. From an engineering standpoint , I would want to ROI. How much money has been spend on airline security and how much airline chaos has been prevented ? I freely admit that the numbers I am about to use are pulled out of my bum and may not be correct. I swear I believe they are close to reality. COST of airline chaos to date ( 1960 to present ) USD 2 trillion ^1 includes ( and not limited to ) world trade center, cost to public, equipment outlay, salaries, loss of life. RESULTS failure to prevent major events such as World Trade Center ( twice ) success probably consists of prevention of maybe 500 billion in losses. this is very hard to evaluate. Security consists of preventing tomorrow's attack, not yesterday's attack. In this regard, the efforts with regard to the airline industry are batting about 20%. 80% of the effort is reactive or facade. The goals of the US Government are vague or completely unrealistic. I guess one unstated goal is that there will never be a terrorist attack again. Airline travelers should be given the option of paying for security. For example, a secure flight from LA to NY might cost $100 extra and have two heavily armed REPULSORs on board. The cockpit door is armored. The passenger area can be filled with sleep gas. The REPULSORs can access water jets and lots of other non-lethal weapons. The passenger compartment can be divided with net mesh. Passengers can pull kevlar blankets over themselves for protection if an onboard battle starts. See http://www.oh-god.com/anti-terrorism For today, for immediate victory, the airline are allowed to roll back all ( ALL) security practices and instigate the ones their customers want to pay for. No more scanning and queues, no more wands, no more "hands-on" testing for weapons. Every passenger is informed that the plane will be shot down if a terrorist takes over. ^ The next stage is crucial. You either rapidly take note of what you have learned and move to open up the system again as much as is reasonably possible. They win if instead you go into catatonic navel gazing mode as, sadly, tended to happen after (and still, since) "911". Terrorists win when the reaction of the authorities is grossly more inconvenient and oppressive than the actions which cause them. Those like eg the IRA used to understand this well enough. What 'they' need to do now is to employ some average Israeli citizens as consultants :-). [[This comment has NOTHING to do with the unpleasantness going on on their northern border at present]]. There over the last few decades they have become so accustomed to living with ongoing terror threat, scraping up the bodies when they happen, and then getting on with life, that terror has become far less effective as a weapon against mass public opinion. And mass public opinion is what the terrorists are attempting to affect. ^ The Israelis are might be good consultants, there are many other experts that should be called in. Gun experts, SciFi authors, economics experts, material scientists, etc. Lastly, tests should be run and when a threat is successfully thwarted, the public should be notified. Along with the failures. ^ RM ^1 I think a more realistic figure is USD 4 trillion > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778615.stm > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778771.stm > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778575.stm -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist Gus S Calabrese Denver, CO 720 222 1309 303 908 7716 cell Please include and do not limit yourself to "spam2006". I allow everything with "spam2006" in the subject or text to pass my spam filters. -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist