Israel has right answers on profiling air travelers

In July 2001, Richard Reid tried to board an El Al flight toIsrael. The 28-year-old Briton, who later became known as the "shoebomber" for trying to ignite explosives in his sneakers on anAmerican Airlines flight from Paris to Miami, was stopped before hecould get on the Israeli plane. His answers to routine questions fromEl Al security officials made them suspicious. He was detained andsearched because they determined his behavior was erratic. He fit theprofile of a would-be terrorist.

Americans who cherish their civil liberties are reluctant to allowthe type of psychological profiling used by the Israelis to beemployed at U.S. airports; they are nervous about the …