NEW TERROR ALERT IN GERMANY – AT 8:27 A.M. ET:  The terror alert in Germany has been raised.  We're seeing more and more stories like this.  From Fox:

BERLIN – Germany's interior minister says he is ordering increased security in the country in light of what he says is a heightened threat from terrorism.

Thomas de Maiziere pointed Wednesday to the recent interception of mail bombs sent from Yemen, to a subsequent tip from another unspecified country about a suspected attack planned for the end of November, and to German information on "sustained efforts" by Islamic extremist groups to plan attacks in Germany.

At the same time, we Americans are embroiled in a debate over intrusive airport scanners.  This debate could be lessened considerably if we adopted the common-sense Israeli system and targeted the terrorists rather than the weapons they might be carrying.  Yes, that involves profiling.  Yes, that involves the possibility of extended interviews.  And yes, it works.

But political correctness – every passenger is equal to every other passenger, including the Middle Eastern guy wearing a parka in July – has sent us in strange directions, like overly instrusive scanners.

We will learn, but it will be the hard way.

November 17, 2010