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Explosions on planes: How serious is the security threat?
After it was published that ISIS developed tiny bombs that can be activated via laptops, Channel 2 News spoke with Israeli security expert Pini Schiff, who explained the seriousness of the threat and ways to combat it. (www.jerusalemonline.com) Plus d'info...
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Sadly, using explosives to bring down aircraft is far from a recent innovation. Since 1949 there have been at least 88 such occurrences, as documented on the Aviation Safety Network database. The first took down a Philippines Airlines C-47/DC-3 on May 7, 1949. At first, the efforts were mostly concentrated on killing one person - often a spouse - and the rest of the victims were collateral damage. Despite that, it was possible to walk onto a plane without going through any security checkpoint as late as 1973, when the first magnetometers were installed at US airports. (I remember the massive lines at Newark Airport when I returned to college after Christmas vacation.) Since then, of course, the ongoing battle of wits and technology between terrorists and authorities have become a routine part of our daily news.
Yep history has served the terrorist aviation acts however as you said everything has slowed down due to passenger screening. The issue of no electronic devices on aircraft indicates all the technology can't keep up with averting issues. Restrictions on fluids, better luggage crates, aircraft design technology (Composites etc) all lean towards negating small explosives doing any serious aircraft damage. So my question is with all the scanning and airport technology why are they not detecting explosives in carry on technology? Is the baggage screening not up to standard?
They can only go back to 1980 prior to the 9/11 debacle and now everything is scanned, sniffed, x-rayed, puffed, fingerprinted, body scanned, body pat downs and the usual customs gestapo lady turn you bag inside out searches. Then because of the delay you have to sprint bags in tow 1.5 km down terminal A in Frankfurt for you connecting flight and have gestapo lady's sister bag search, scan and have to take your belt off because it set off the metal detector. And they are saying when you empty your bag, everything is scanned its they can't tell if a cellphone is electronic or not, the sniffers are crap and gestapo lady's sister just want my pants off.
