Originally Posted by Ron Bennett

Please re-read my previous post about what the real threat of hijacked planes is ... it's NOT about protecting the passengers on board, but rather all about protecting important facilities / the power-elite on the ground from being targeted by such an attack...

From the perspective of the power-elite, if a hijacked plane blows up before reaching an important target, even if the passengers and some unimportant people on the ground die, that's just collateral damage. Heck, the U.S. military already has a procedure for shooting down hijacked jetliners - it's not about protecting the passengers, it's all about protecting valuable targets (ie. Sep-11-2001 attack, most all the damage and most of the deaths were on the ground) from being hit by the aircraft.

In short, for many terrorists, controlling the aircraft is a critical part of their terror plot - the locked cockpit door presents a serious barrier, and presumably, discourages many from even trying; provides pilots extra time to take counter-measures.

Ron