Foiled

Apparently the folks who brought you the events of 9/11 were planning another attack...discovered and broken up by MI5, the British agency in charge of such discoveries.

If what I read on CNN's website was correct, United, Continental & American airlines were all going to have planes from Britain to the U.S. blown-up in mid air. The plan was supposed to involve a gel-type explosive that looked like hair care products...hence carry-on luggage will be limited, and it appears that you'll only be able to bring a plastic bag on board for your magazines and whatever else you might use for your 8-hour flight.

Some random thoughts on this:

This jolted me awake as it had somehow occured just at press time for the morning paper. There was a headline, a small article and then something like "check out our website for more information." Seated, rested early-morning heart rate = treadmill after half an hour.

I'm the carry-on guy who takes the most possible advantage of the carry-on rules: The biggest possible bags with the most I can get in them. I've never ever had lost luggage but for some reason I don't want to be caught shorthanded so I go into Boy Scout mode and get prepared just in case. I annoy myself doing it, too. So I'll probably be happier just being able to carry my water, and a magazine and a book and my iPod.

I'm still confused over the terror-alert levels. It's "Red" for all commerical air travel between the U.S. and the U.K. I'm not sure what that means.

Having been through both Heathrow and Gatwick just two weeks ago and cruised through security with ease, arriving two hours ahead of the flight times and all that jazz, after seeing this, I don't think two hours would've been enough at Heathrow:

photo courtesy of Getty Images

I wonder if all those people who wondered where God was when the terrorists struck over the last 5 years now have the opposite side of the coin in their brains. That you can't have it both ways...so if God was "absent" on those days, he must've "been there" today. Or, maybe it was just human nature...dark side one day, good side the next. My point is not to debate God's involvement but rather point out they very nature of the line of thought that blames God for tragedy.

You can't really have it both ways: Michael Chertoff, our Director of Homeland Security said two things in regard to this that seem polar to me. First, he said, "We cannot be sure that the threat has been entirely eliminated or the plot completely thwarted."

He then followed up by saying, "Travelers should go about their plans confidently, while maintaining vigilance in their surroundings and exercising patience with screening and security officials."

Listen, Michael, I'm sure you're doing the best job you can and am thankful you're doing it. And, I appreciate your honesty in saying you can't yet be sure you got all the bad guys. And, I'm the type of person who wouldn't let terrorism "win" so I'd likely get on my flight and go about business as usual. However, I'm not sure that I could go about my itinerary "confidently." I go about it, and I'd be vigilant and patient with the security folks, too. But I don't think I could be "confident" until you told me that the plot was completely thwarted.

I'll say it again, unless your religious text says "Blessed are the peacemakers," you might want to re-consider.

I think I'd like a world with more peacemakers today.