Remember the Airbus hijack in 1994, from Algiers?
The authorities knew, from intelligence reports, that the terrorists were planning to hit the Eiffel tower. That's why the GIGN (Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale) stormed the plane while it was still stranded in Marseilles. The prefet ordered that in no circumstances can the plane leave Mariniane airport. Those terrorists came from the Islamic fundamentalists in Algeria.
The GIGN had some interesting devices such as flashes that paralyze anybody for about 5 seconds, gving the initiative to the gendarmes. Terrorists can be stopped with technology, but sometimes it's technology that's unexpected.

Raoul