Re: affects on Japan...

["SN_Diamond" <Norman.Diamond@example.com>]

Scott M. Stone wrote:

> so how have the terrorist attacks affected you guys in Japan?  Did they
> close down your airports too?

No.  Did New York subways close down when Aum attacked Tokyo's subways?

I do expect that security will increase at Japan's airports.  Security for
international flights has always seemed to be greater here anyway, and in
fact all countries that I've visited seemed to have more security than in
the US and Canada.  However, Japanese domestic flights seemed maybe to have
not enough security, since a passenger was able to murder a pilot on one
around a year or two ago.  I've never taken a domestic flight in Japan
though, so can't really compare.

The best security I've seen was for a domestic flight in India.  Notice how
the US even fined American Airlines a few months ago for letting
unaccompanied baggage travel (the passengers checked in their luggage but
didn't board themselves).  In India that couldn't happen.  Wouldn't stop a
suicide bomber of course, but it would stop others.  And then notice how the
US reopened its airports for American Airlines and other low-security
airlines to land in the US, while turning back a KLM flight in mid-air.  Of
course India doesn't lead the world in most things, but in situations where
it does, it would be nice if the US would be willing to learn from it
instead of continuing to make things worse.

> Any of you have friends/family in those buildings or airplanes?

I think something like 16 Japanese banks had offices in the World Trade
Center.

-- Norman Diamond