A lot of changes have taken place during that period, but none as significant as those about to take place, we hope, in the months ahead. It is imperative that we effectively address the horrific threat that confronts our industry and the nation as a whole from terrorists inside and outside of our borders. Terrorism is a national problem, not just an aviation industry problem. No longer are we safe inside the protective boundaries of our great nation. The tentacles of terrorism have reached out to America, and the flag on the airplanes that we fly is a target for the radical elements of discontent.
Terrorism is a coward's way to fight.
It is completely without conscience, and its victims are as random as the air they breathe. In our view, the current status of civil aviation security is analogous to the reciprocating engine which powered the first generation of aircraft. Although it does work with varying degrees of efficiency, the parts are always moving in opposite directions. They stop, start and change directions continuously, and the effectiveness of the engine is correspondingly lessened. The turbine engine has replaced the reciprocating engine because its efficiency is predicated on all of the major parts moving in the same direction.