In our travels we have found that the security is not standardized between countries or even airports in the same country. The US requires you to take off your shoes and allows a lighter other countries do not. Some allow knitting needles some do not and Continental serves a drink with a long hard plastic stir stick that could easily do harm to someone... Some airlines (Air Jamaica) will have a secondary security check at the gate before you are allowed to board the plane... You would think the airport security would be the same for all countries if the planes are landing in or flying over the other countries....