Sure, the guys on 9/11 got through, but as pointed out a person can at least pick up on visual cues like body language.
Skysista, how does that work? Try working a shift at the check-in counter at Bogan Domestic. Now try to pick out the obnoxious, scruffy, belligerent, anti-Western suicidal zealot from the average obnoxious, scruffy, belligerent non-zealot.
And then do that 1,000 times in a shift! and then 200 days a year... Hard, isn't it?
The check-in desk jockey at Portland who checked in three of the 9/11 hijackers found them obnoxious, belligerent and incommunicative. "Full of hate" was how he described one of them. But they still got boarded.
Why don't we database all airline travellers, and flag those who may be potential hijackers, then check them out? And leave the unflagged ones (the usual non-suspects) for less frequent random checks, while giving the flagged ones a 100% check, every trip?
I would willingly sacrifice privacy of my personal data to ASIS, FedPol, ASIO or whomever if I thought it would help focus resources away from people like me and visiting dignitaries(where I know they are not required) and towards others (about whom I know nothing) if I thought it would help the sky a safer place.
Currently, the terrorists have won. We are all terrorised. Already, every day.
Losing a bit more data privacy won't mean much, except to those who have something to hide.
VHCU