Originally Posted by michaelchertoff
Procedures in place now as a multilayered web would likely have disrupted their plans entirely or significantly. At the very least, it would have introduced operational risk at a level to them that would have changed their approach ina way that elevated our opportunity to capture them.
Unlikely. Many of the 9.11 people were known to the government as threats for quite some time and they were ignored. I can't possibly believe that is not being done now. The operational risk they would suffer now is obvious: reinforced flight deck doors and passengers and crews unwilling to surrender themselves. 9.11 as a future threat is done and buried - not going to happen. Yet we still focus on it...we still fear it...it consumes our national psyche and that in itself, creates risk in other areas.
What concerns me is the unknown threat - the one we continue to ignore. Security continues to focus on passengers and their possessions while ignoring cargo. The national security apparatus is intentionally and blindly tilted towards aviation while our ports and energy facilities go unprotected.
It's business as usual in Washington. Just more money being shuffled around and lots of showmanship for the folks in the heartland (sorry, Homeland), but as far as substantive changes that are actually going to protect us from something we can't necessarily plan for or forecast? It just isn't there. Big words in governmentspeak won't make it so either.
Tonight is going to be interesting. If the entire State of the Union address continues to focus on terrorism here and terrorism there while ignoring domestic issues, the Homeland is going to start yawning. They are beginning to grow weary and tired of the same old show with little substance.