Australian airport security stays heightened after foiled terror plot

The plot was foiled, so then airport security was increased?!? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

The plot was foiled, so then airport security was increased?!? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

Absolutely. Just because they've stopped some doesn't mean they've stopped all. Increasing security is usually what happens.

Just flew out of Sydney yesterday afternoon; wasn't too bad, actually. Arrived at the airport a bit early as I thought there might be some issues.

Why do they have to mention the house was a few doors from a mosque? Does that infer all Muslims are terriorists?

Just because they've stopped some doesn't mean they've stopped all

The likelihood that a terrorist will attack at this point is less than normal. They tend to lie low during raids and stepped up investigations, when the heat is on.

A security analyst was on CNN complaining so many of the measures (except in Israel) are reactionary, rather than pro-active. For instance, there's no security at our movie theaters, not because they make bad targets but because they havent yet been targeted. The security starts AFTER the damage has been done. It should be the other way round.

The security starts AFTER the damage has been done. It should be the other way round.

But the plot was foiled. The airport increased (not started) security because of heightened threat not because there was an attack. That should be common sense under these circumstances. You can't drop your guard simply because of what tends to happen. That is asking for trouble.

Also... Israel's security doesn't stop everyone.

"You can't drop your guard...."

I'm not saying that. I'm saying your guard should at an appropriate level consistently, reflecting the real assessed threats. Launching extra security AFTER culprits have been arrested and their plot shut down is more about public image than security.

But that's the point. There had to be an appropriate level of security for the people to be arrested in the first place. Increasing security COULD actually be as a response to information about real assessed threats obtained during raids, we don't know that it's not... and from previous incidents it's well known that multiple attacks are designed to coincide with each other. The extra security as you say COULD be about public image and making people feel safer, but to not increase at such a time is a mistake that could be disastrous.

There had to be an appropriate level of security for the people to be arrested in the first place.

Not really. The Australian police were lucky enough to receive an unexpected tip-off. Uncovering these Jihadis had nothing to with the level of airport security.

"....it's well known that multiple attacks are designed to coincide with each other."

And the plotters have been the same groups of people, as with the Transatlantic Bomb Plot. Arrest these people, and the "multiple attacks" quickly fizzle out. As security experts say time and time again: terrorists don't strike when everyone expects them to: they strike when they're NOT expected.

It was an overweight bag that stopped them. That is airport security. International tip-offs came after the attempt to get the bag on the plane. That is not airport security. If you think you have appropriate security, but you are shown not to, you increase the level of security. The airport security stopped the plot... raids based on international information came afterwards. Airport security was therefore at an appropriate level at the time and was appropriately increased afterwards. The threat level has now been lowered by authorities but airport security remains higher. It absolutely makes sense.