Way back in 1971, it was possible to run on the top of the airport concourses in Brussels National; I loved it: the smell and the noise of arriving or ongoing airplanes, not more than 15 meters away (and that giant Jumbo jet in 1968!!).
Then it was all over........
No access outside, then waiting and waiting and showing your luggage, being careful not to ruin the film in the camera.
As I wrote earlier, I was once completely body searched before boarding AA to Chicago.
However, things have changed since then too.
The terrorists hijacked planes (in the 70's,with guns, grenades, etc..) with the aim towards demanding the release from jails of their accomplices. The Germans had the Baader Meinhof gang, the Italians had the Brigata Rossa and there were the Palestinians; they'd all help each other until 1978, when the Lufthansa airplane hijacked to Mogadiscio airport got stormed by German special forces; the jailed German terrorists committed suicide, but the Brigata Rossa killed Aldo Moro and the German terrorists killed Hans-Martin Schleyer (the bosses' boss); but after that, it became much calmer, until the Algerian terrorists started to attack French interests. They failed there too (in 1994) and that was over. However, the GIAhas for the first time shown its willingness to throw the hijacked plane on the Eiffel Tower.
Clearly, Suicide is a weapon they use, but it's quite odd it's accepted as those who go to such extreme won't take advantage of their action. The previous terrorists did plan to take advantage, but not anymore.
Nobody in Europe (not even in the UK, which has housed several GIA members who were wanted in France) ever planned to invade a country because there were terrorists in their deserts. I completely disagree with mr Ashcroft's declarationaccusing states without naming them specifically with the needed proofs. This can seriously turn the entire Muslim world against the US, even the countries that are not responsible at all, simply because no one, no country wants to be humiliated.
Dealing with terrorism is an entirely different universe.

Raoul