Local security stopped him multiple times, both here and overseas. Israel flew him in the back of the plane next to an air marshal. In the US, government authorities did not check too hard into him even though he had been singled out for further checks by airport security.
edit - he looks like hell in the first few pics because he continued struggling even after getting swarmed, so someone onboard with sedatives gave him multiple injections until he calmed down. He's drugged out of his mind in most of the pics taken right after the event.
Of course, after all this hubub about security being too lax, people are squeaking about a pilot who kicked an armed presidential bodyguard off a flight because things didn't seem right. Which way are we going to do it? Let someone on a plane that EVERYONE thinks is odd because the rules say you can't discriminate against him, or err on the side of caution and let security or other airport/airline personel refuse transportation to people who don't quite check out?
Given the choice, letting a bomb-weilding freak onboard or delaying an innocent armed man, I think I would prefer to err on the side of caution. Cancel the whole flight if it makes you feel better, but absolutely do NOT allow people onboard without thorough checks if they've been noticed as potential security risks.
IMHO.
[ 12-30-2001: Message edited by: eagl ]
