Racial profiling could play in the hand of the terrorists because they know that people will be offended if they are profiled, but with that said what else can be done?
The racial profiling reaction maybe their overall plan, because if it was really about taking down aircraft, they could easily check baggage with explosives in the cargo hold with a timer to go off.
But instead they continue to try to smuggle in their personal carry on items of terror, knowing full well that we will overreact by personal search and profiling, yet what else are we supposed to do, since there are no instances of Scandinavian grandmothers trying to hijack planes with their knitting needles!
Do you happen to know around what percentage of check-in baggage is screened (at least here in the U.S.)? I'm surprised the Islamists haven't tried what you mentioned, especially considering the immense damage a series of such terrorist attacks would have on the U.S. economy. Do they desire to induce us into racial profiling even more than they desire to damage the economy? Strange, if true.