I agree with your sentiments on security - speaking as both pax and pilot, I can say they are some of the most disgustingly rude people on earth. Never before have I come across a profession (ahem) so invariably ill mannered.
Another good point you make - one day those shaven chimps in suits say we're fighting to reduce the risk of terrorism by going into Afghanistan - the next they're letting a convicted terrorist back to his home country out of compassion.
HOWEVER - any suggestion that investigating any possible threat on board an aircraft is useless is, in my opinion, totally ill-founded. Though I totally agree that our money should NOT be p*ssed up Afghan walls, it SHOULD be spent on investigating these cases, no matter how large or small, and thus further protecting passengers. I think even more money should be spent on better and more intelligent initiatives for making our airports safer. Those rude people in security, not being able to bring your own diet coke on board: these things are annoying. But they're all we've got - and they're much better than nothing. I'm afraid until something better comes along, you can't knock 'em.
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