While my first instinct is to reply: “Then don’t fly”, we need to adapt El Al’s security measures which were bandied about after 9-11 and promptly forgotten. They include such things as:
Profiling by religion and country of origin,
Looking at recent travel history,
Checking passport and name against multiple data bases,
Multiple screenings of luggage,
Luggage not left unattended once screened,
Intense inspection of passports and boarding passes,
Sky marshals on every plane,
Double doors on all cockpits,
Pilots are allowed to armed in cockpits, and
Interviews by security officers prior to boarding.
Even at overseas airports El Al conducts security checks, even if they are supervised by government or private security firms.
http://www.israelinsider.com/channels/security/articles/sec_0108.htm
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/meast/09/26/rec.el.al.security/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2097352.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Al
Also, IIRC anyone who not allowed to fly EL AL is very courteously assisted in getting a flight on another airline.
What I like about El Al’s approach is that they catch not only those on the terror watch lists, also those who have recently traveled to Muslim countries for ‘training’, converts who don’t fit the traditional Jihadist profile, e.g. blond blue-eyed man name Patrick O’Reilly, and those who are duped into carrying.
I absolutely agree, time to pre-screen. And attack the lax program that is nothing but a circus.
And the responsibility also falls upon every citizen as well, walk off the flight if Muslims are on board or more to the point appear to be in the profile of known terrorist profiles.
Sounds good to me. In the case of our domestic flights, it seems they could have levels of screening, some of which could take place before you even got in line, a credit check for example.
The true American "born and raised", not duped, not converted, should be able to breeze through the first level having passed speech accent screening, standard screening and the muslim-jokes test.
Naturalized citizens and foreign nationals would have to face a tougher standards.
The obvious muslims and likely suspects should face the "long form" clearance, miss the flight if they whack out or copp an attitude.
Those whose name is a computer match on a terrorist watch list or no fly list...stuff&cuff 'em right there.