First, remember the Muslim terrorists complied with every security restriction in force that morning. When, not if, there is a second such incident we will find the exact same thing.
Second, if there is such a problem with items being taken off aircraft in transit why should we think that things are not being put on aircraft. During an earlier war, the one on drugs, it was repeatedly documented that the biggest problem with drug smuggling wasn't the passengers but the ramp employees. Why wasn't this lesson brought forward?
Until we employ an aggressive profile based security system, like Israel, our airport security will remain a farce designed to inconvenience passengers while making them feel safer.
But it does train the populace for blind compliance to the edicts of an authoritarian government.
Precisely. The theft, which is bad enough, might prove to be the lesser problem.
Still, those allegedly guarding the public should not be looting their property.