Stricter rules for passengers' visas

Speaking of making airplanes less vulnerable to terrorists, the U.S. government recently began requiring visas for people from most countries when they travel through the United States from one foreign port to another.

To do that, the government suspended two programs that allowed foreigners to stay in U.S. airports without visas while waiting for flights to other countries.

The government made the change with good reason: Al-Qaida and other terrorism organizations were believed to use the programs to get access to flights to and from the United States.

More smart thinking.

The lack of screening for visas could have allowed potential terrorists to enter the country without being checked against federal lists of terrorism suspects.

There has been so much criticism of how the government has responded to Sept. 11, 2001, from so-called privacy advocates. But it is clear that the way the government has responded -- especially with new security measures it has implemented -- is largely the reason that there have been no new attacks.

Such measures are intended to make that attack the last ever.