I'm inclined to agree. Especially if the Marine is specifically trained for air-terrorism scenarios, but I can't imagine that is the solution we as a country will adopt. Deepak -----Original Message----- From: John Fraizer [mailto:nanog@Overkill.EnterZone.Net] Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 4:38 PM To: Deepak Jain Cc: Dave O'Shea; Kevin Day; David Howe; Email List: nanog Subject: RE: Analysis from a JHU CS Prof Armed Terrorist vs Marine (armed or unarmed), I'm putting my money on the Marine. I'm biased of course. The terrorist is very emotionally attached to the situation at hand. The Marine is acting on instinct and training. (Emotions come later when you're trying to wash the filthy terrorist blood off you hands and clothes.) --- John Fraizer EnterZone, Inc On Wed, 12 Sep 2001, Deepak Jain wrote:
Would you want the Marines armed?
I think a big concern about putting Marshalls on the planes is whether
they
should be armed or not.
If you let an enforcement official on a plane with the only [theoretically] gun on the plane, it could also [theoretically] be taken from them [say by overpowering them..].
I personally find it comforting that the hijackers weren't able to get guns on the plane, or at least couldn't count on getting them on the planes. That says something about the security checkpoints established thus far.
Deepak Jain
-----Original Message----- From: owner-nanog@merit.edu [mailto:owner-nanog@merit.edu]On Behalf Of Dave O'Shea Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 3:44 PM To: Kevin Day; John Fraizer Cc: David Howe; Email List: nanog Subject: RE: Analysis from a JHU CS Prof
Federal penitentiaries have among the best security in the world, and use highly invasive searches combined with a very limited access policy and severe limitations about what may be brought into a prison. Weapons, edged and blunt, are still quite common.
Any security policy that doesn't put into place measures to deal with threats as they arise is ineffective by definition. Talking sternly to the offender is of questionable value when the offender is a crabby stockbroker annoyed about the inflight meal.
Personally, I have a ticket to fly somewhere next week that I purchased for the dirt-cheap price of $140 round-trip. I'm beginning to think I'd be much happier spending twice that to fly on a half-empty plane with a couple of really short-tempered marines sitting towards the back of the plane.
-----Original Message----- From: Kevin Day [mailto:toasty@temphost.dragondata.com] Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 1:43 PM To: John Fraizer Cc: David Howe; Email List: nanog Subject: Re: Analysis from a JHU CS Prof
On Wed, 12 Sep 2001, David Howe wrote:
There are mechanisms in place that would detect this type of behavior. (Prebooking multiple flights for the same
individual.)
Does a domestic flight require a passport or other form of positive ID? if not, they could book as many tickets as needed with a different name per ticket.
Yes. Photo identification to get your tickets, period, the end.
Not necessarily. I've boarded planes several times without showing a piece of ID. With the new automated check-in kiosks in several airports, if you have no luggage to check-in, you don't see a person at all.. (You still do need a credit card in your name though) Both times I left Houston-Bush International, I had my tickets printed and checked in by only telling the attendant my name. (I thought it was very strange, but didn't question it)
Many really small regional airports allow you to board without going through metal detectors/bag x-rays. Once you get off the plane at the destination(larger airport) you're behind the "secure" zone, and can also board another flight without going through one.
I'm not saying that these kinds of things are what caused yesterday's events, or that whoever did this didn't use fake ID's, so I'm not sure that strictly enforcing this sort of thing would have mattered anyway.
-- Kevin