>>>>http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/19/airport.security.issues/index.html?hpt=C1
>>>>
>>>>This is what Al Qaida has driven us to.
>>>
>>>I think think you got there for yourselves Mike> Also most security experts agree that airport searches are for public consumption and have nothing to do with effectively increasing security.
>>
>>I'm curious if every single piece of baggage is xrayed now and if they can actually guarantee that no baggage gets on a plane without that being done (I bet absolutely not).
>
>Dunno how much of the security hoopla here a few weeks ago crossed the pond, but it was established that less than 10% of the commercial airplane freight coming from not-so-civilised places is scanned. This freight gets reloaded onto passanger airplanes and according to official statements "shall be scanned 100% in the future". Depending on your level of cynicism you can reach different guesstimates of the level before...
>

My understanding is Germany is still under high alert due to a credible terrorist threat picked up on monitoring. Is that accurate?

I grumble about the security measures being taken but I would not want their jobs. It has to be like chasing smoke. It isn't a "war on terror" at all, using the term of art. In a real war there are armies, countries, battles, surrenders. This isn't like that. It's a fanatical movement. You kill one and another springs up in his place. Or another 100. We should call the TSA the Sisyphus Agency.

Actually he is one of my favorite mythical characters. Some days at work I can relate to him <g>. In fact I am going to start a thread about mythical characters. We need a break from this dismal terrorist discussion. Part fun, part learning, part comments from unexpected quarters -- isn't that the point of Chatter? Chatter was never intended to be all bickering all the time.