Another successful 9/11-type attack would make it very difficult to again restore travelers` faith in security and probably destroy the airline industry. Last week`s cancellation of six Air France flights from Paris to Los Angeles made it clear that such a threat remains very real. Intelligence reports indicated that at least one of the would-be hijackers was trained to fly a plane.
Unfortunately, the European response has been slow. A year ago British transportation secretary Alistair Darling announced that trained sky marshals "will be deployed where appropriate," but it was not until this past Sunday, just one day before the U.S. ordered foreign airlines to use air marshals, that any deployment was actually announced. While almost all other allies will follow along, with the possible exception of Sweden, they gave what has been described as a "frosty reception" to U.S. plans.
Read Original at: John R. Lott.com