Public support for the British government's alliance with the United States in its war on terror, has dropped markedly since claims by British police they foiled a plot to blow up around a dozen planes.

Security was stepped up at all UK airports, with liquids including water, and gel, being banned from in-flight carriage.

Lines of hundreds of people formed as security screening was considerably delayed. Around 1,800 flights were cancelled. Airline travel bookings dropped sharply.

Now regular Brits are questioning the credibility of the so-called plot, the need and effectiveness of the increased security, and the government's motives for its "paranoia" with terrorism.

Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary publicly voiced his frustration and scepticism on Friday, when he said "terrorists are rolling around caves in Pakistan laughing at us," referring to what he terms an over-reaction to recent events.
He said the recently imposed security measures were "farcical, keystone cop-like, completely insane, and ineffectual."

Airline pilots have also joined the fray condemning the measures and questioning their usefulness. British pilots are now banned from taking toothpaste or other toiletries into the cockpit.

Ryanair has demanded the government relax the recent measures and restore the in-flight luggage restrictions to what they were before the so-called plot was revealed.

He said the delays at airports in the last few days had been "entirely preventable if the government had put in a couple of hundred police or army personnel" to help airport staff.
Banning items such as water bottles and toothpaste was "nuts" and the terrorists "must be rolling around the caves of Pakistan, laughing". He said it was "complete horse manure" to infer that passengers either faced delays or death. Mr O'Leary said the people being subjected to intense security were "not terrorists and not fanatics ... they are actually called holidaymakers".

"We are not in danger of dying at the hands of toiletries. Normal security measures have successfully prevented any terrorist attack on any British plane in the last 25 years," he added. Captain Mervyn Granshaw, of the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) told The Scotsman, pilots travelling away from home for days at a time had been told they could not take into their cockpits toothpaste, contact-lens solution and other liquids and gels. "Since the extra security measures have been introduced there have been endless practical and frustrating problems for flight crew who have to operate the aircraft," he said.

"Do officials really believe that we need to be prevented from using liquids, given that we freely load and carry many thousands of litres of volatile aviation kerosene every day? The measure is illogical and frankly bizarre," he said.

He called for a summit meeting of airport operators, airlines, Department for Transport (DfT) officials and others.

"If we don't learn from the lessons of the past two weeks we shall be in trouble and aviation could grind to a halt for all the wrong reasons. This is not about special pleading but pilots are already responsible for hundreds of lives."
The DfT said it had "no intention of compromising security" and did not anticipate changing requirements.

Mr O'Leary said that although Ryanair had sent letters to other airlines outlining the case for compensation, his own carrier was not actively working with other airlines. He said leaders of other airlines were more "interested in knighthoods than getting airports back to normal".

Readers of The Scotsman on Saturday were actively supporting British pilots and the Ryanair chief. Tom of Edinburgh said, "Michael O'Leary is spot on. Bliar and Bruiser Reid are trying to scare us into the hands of the long-departed Josef Stalin."

Fred Stornway said, "This pathetic attempt by our so called labour government to frighten people sufficiently to allow them to impose draconian legislation and thus eliminate what remains of our human rights is, to say the least, farcical. I assume that taking a manicure set from an 88 year old woman travelling from the islands to Glasgow is ensuring that our security is not compromised. Likewise taking a small set of nail clippers from someone. Can you imagine an 88 year old woman slowly hobbling through the cabin, waving her manicure set and demanding to be taken to Benbecula? The whole thing is a joke, and is made worse by certain sections of the police, civil servants, as well as assorted jobsworths, trying to boost their own self importance. The sooner we get rid of the war criminal Blair the sooner we can return to some form of normality."

Robert of the USA had this to say: "Too funny. It's nice that someone in the airline industry is standing up for "reasonable searches" for all travelers. I agree that "we're not in danger of dying at the hands of toiletries" and we need to depoliticize these reactions from our governments. None of us wants to die at the hands of a terrorist...that's a given. But we also don't want to live in a police state and have terrorists "win" by taking away the very things that make us great: freedom and efficiency. We need to draw a line in the sand as a society when our goverments cross it. Finally someone is beginning to voice that it is being crossed, even temporarily."

Malcom said, "Over 100 years ago, Alfred Nobel discovered that cellulose-based fabrics could be rendered explosive. So perhaps the next step will be that all passengers will have to change into special overalls (orange coloured?) before boarding their flights. Their clothes would be returned to them upon arrival at destination. More laughter in those caves!"

Ubi of Edinburgh said, "What we're seeing now amounts to terrorism by the state: the government is using terror to control its citizens."

Serena of London said, "It is so refreshing and reassuring to read these comments supporting the voice of common reason amid the psychobabble of psychotic beauro/eurocrats. Scotsman editorial and readers are clearly of a higher intelligence than the average mush that parades as media."

Chris of Edinburgh said, "all good points made and good to see people speaking their minds... how long before just doing that will get you arrested. With regards to the Geneva Convention and the rules these 'evil terrorists' are breaking... things like parading or humiliating political prisoners in the media... what about when they caught Saddam and every network from the BBC [blair broadcasting co.] to CNN showed him being inspected medically... on television. a direct breaking of the agreements we are currently cursing others for. And the greatest irony... worrying about terrorists sneaking onto planes at Edinburgh Airport to cause pain and suffering whilst at the very same time we are allowing the CIA to fly innocent people via the same tarmac and terminals in order to torture them legally. Surely we all know about forced confessions... the number of framed 'IRA bombers' released after the 'confessions' were proven to be extracted at force through violence by UK police... none of our alleged wishes for world peace seem to start at home...I only feel shame for this set of messed up countries that is the not-so-United Kingdom... absolute shame."