"Security is largely a matter of perceptions."

Baloney. You try telling that to a police officer handling a bomb dog. "Just.. LOOK like you're doing your job. Don't actually do it. The *perception* is what's important." You will get people killed by thinking this. You are not playing a game against untrained amateur opponents who are easily frightened. These guys simultaneously seized MULTIPLE different aircraft. They are pros, well trained and intelligent. You play amateur hour with them and they'll kill you a whole bunch more people.

"But perceptions can have real deterrence value so they are not to be dismissed. Perceptions can also get people to fly instead of stay home."

The former is not true, and the latter may be true up until the point that the former is proven not true. At which point ALL confidence is lost. You will not deter a motivated, trained, intelligent killer by banning nail clippers and searching grandmas and boy scouts and middle aged executives. You may amuse him, but you won't deter him.

And when they punch through the fake security and kill more people the public is going to think this:
"Gee, even with M-16's and National Guard and searching everyone umpteen times they can't keep planes from being blown up / hijacked."

What do you say to that? "Oh, well we'll up our *perception* of security and that will somehow frighten the professional (and suicidal) killers away!"

The VERY last thing this industry can afford is another attack of *any* kind. If they don't wise up and get serious about this they are going to suffer just that.

Regards,
-Bouncer-