Plane Attack Foiled

From the USA Today:
"Airport security tightens after in-flight incident"

It seems that the US Government has once again let the ball drop on someone they have been tracking for at least 2 years (the other most recent case was that Muslim soldier at Fort Hood.) The Nigerian man was on the Counterterrorism Watch List, but not the No-Fly List and even had a valid US Visa. I don't understand why the US would even consider allowing someone like that on a plane with innocent people headed towards the US. The only thing that stopped the attack from being fully carried out is the other passengers on the plane (the US Government has only them to thank.)

And of course now ordinary people will be treated badly and like criminals - instead of the actual criminals. I have heard that flights bound for the US now limit carry-ons to 1 per person, that no one can stand for the last hour of the flight, that you can't even have your carry-on on your lap and that everyone is checked again at the gate before boarding.

The one bag rule is just dumb. I remember flying from the UK when they had that rule (but flying to the UK you could have as many as you wanted.) If security does it's job right it shouldn't matter how many carry-ons you have. I guess the Governments involved in this don't trust their airport security. I am fine with all the rest of the rules as long as people are treated kindly throughout and told about it beforehand.

I really hope this forces the US and other countries to wake up and see that Racial Profiling (since all the terrorists in the last decade have been Muslims and people from the Middle East/Central Asia) is the best solution for all this. Israel has used it for decades and hasn't had a hijacking in a long time. I would rather not be politically correct and alive than politically correct and dead.

I will be flying in the near future and hope everything gets settled (ie with the lax security, threats and watchlists) and to see the government agencies involved using common sense and treat passengers as people (you can still be nice and make things secure.)

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-12-25-airliner-disturbance-detroit_N.htm