Eastbay 1K, I take very strong exception to your comments about laxness of inspections at Canadian airports. Our standards have always been higher than US airports, including non unticketed persons past security. And obviously you have never precleared customs/immigration in Canada because it is much tighter than I generally experience when I reenter the US at JFK, SFO or LAX. Your own officials have as much power in Canada as they do at any US airport. One passes through three screens and nobody who looks suspicious will get past your INS people. They are first rate, if not annoying at times. It is they who let anyone into the US, and nobody else.

As for the gates airside, Canadian security measures for airside access by staff and others have been stringent since the unfortunate double bombing of an Air India 747over the Atlantic and almost bombing of a CP 747 in Tokyo. We have learned from these horrors, and I am quite sure US authorities would not undertake pre-clearance if they had any doubts about this. Airside is as sterile as that at any destination and on any of the aircraft you board from this part of the airport.

As for other issues related to Canada's supposed complicity with terrorists, I heard as much criticism of US immigration/asylum policies on CNN as I have about our own. The early rumours about two of the hijackers coming into the US via a ferry from Nova Scotia to get to Portland was proven incorrect. Infact, today's new confirms these individuals all had been admitted into the US at US gateways, not via Canada, and had been living in your country for years.

Please, we are all sensitive to the horror of Tuesday. But your statement above is just plain unfounded.