I really don't think it is the FAA at all. This decision is the same as the decision to reopen the airports at all. It was a security decision beyond the FAA pay rate. Just as that decision was decided by the president after input from all appropriate cabinet/security positions. Reagan will only reopen when the secret service and NSC as a whole feel comfortable. I do agree that the fear is more from a last minute deversion from an aircraft on approach or while improbable a ground "hijacking" and take off of an aircraft fueled and prepped for take off. There would be almost no ability to react to a last minute deversion. There is almost no way to take down an aircraft of size over a populated area without significant damage on the ground. Not to mention the risk of accidents from the short decision cycle of an aircraft on approach, or the potential damage from the AA weapons themselves. Unfortunately many of the decisions being made seem to be for effect on the populace as a whole. Not for actual impact.
Such as the deployment of national guard MP's at airports. Other than maybe deterring attacks like the machine gun attack at Rome airport, I don't see the use. First the soldiers are not really trained in CT in general. Secondly placing troops in static low threat situations will just cause complacency and decrease training time for actual MOS related skills. Third the troops are being activated and taken out of the civilian work force causing disruptions to businesses and schooling. This will probably lead to a decrease in reenlistment over time, especially if most troops see this as a wasted exercise which the few friends I have talked to have already stated. Fourth I could understand activating them if there was credible threats to infrastructure and the troops were deployed in a constantly changing defense of critical targets. This would potentially disrupt ter. planning by changing the security profile. Airports themselves really do not present themselves as logical target. Hitting power, water, communication etc is more logical and would have the impact that will be needed to equal the last op. Finally the placement of m-16 armed troops at airports is more likely to cause nervousness among people than anything else. Think about the fear many people seem to have of automatic weapons and then do you expect them to feel comfortable when they see soldiers in full tac gear walking around as people head off to vacation?
We do need to try and track the terrorist networks and we also need to work at beefing up security procedures in general not just at airports.

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Robert