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{{Sep11}}
[[box-cutter knife|Box-cutter knives]] were apparently used in the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], though such [[knives]] are not usually considered [[weapon]]s. The [[hijacker]]s could have very easily gotten these type of knives past [[airport security]] since up until the attacks, they fit the qualifications to be permitted on [[United States|U.S.]] domestic flights: any knife with a blade up to 4 inches long was permitted. [[Federal Aviation Administration|FAA]] rules placed into effect on [[September 13]] [[2001]] prohibit any type of knife in secured airport areas and planes.

[[Airport security]] for the two flights out of [[Newark International Airport|Newark]] and [[Dulles International Airport|Washington Dulles]] had been provided by Argenbright Holdings Ltd, a company which had plead guilty to federal fraud charges in May 2000 because they had hired 1,300 untrained [[security guard]]s, including several dozens with criminal records, at [[Philadelphia International Airport]]. The company is still on probation.

Many [[security experts]] and [[libertarians]] have criticised new airport security policies. [[Bruce Schneier]] believes that the attackers were  successful not because of any particular security screening failure, but because hijacking a plane with box cutters and turning them into cruise missiles 
had simply never been seriously considered before as an attack vector. A similar attack attempted today would surely meet with more resistance, as passengers are now fully aware of the potential.

Another common criticism is that any terrorist prevented from carrying a knife onto an airplane could easily improvise a weapon by, for example, smashing a glass bottle - or just attack with his or her [[martial art|bare hands]].

Evidence of this can be seen in the events of [[September 11]], 2001 itself, as the passengers on the fourth plane resisted the hijackers once their friends and family called in to report what had happened with the previous three planes. The only difference between this plane and the others was public awareness.

[[John Gilmore (advocate)|John Gilmore]] has sued the [[Federal Aviation Administration|FAA]], [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]], and others arguing that requiring passengers to show identification before boarding flights is tantamount to an [[internal passport]], and is unconstitutional. It may be noted that not all 19 of the September 11th hijackers had valid identification, yet all were able to board.

==See also==
*[[Airport security]]

== Copyright ==
"Original data received from Wikipedia on April 21, 2006. Credit given to original authors can be seen [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_security_repercussions_due_to_the_September_11%2C_2001_attacks Here]."

[[Category:9/11 Attacks]]