If security was the real reason then why did they GIVE AWAY several thousand tickets to people of influence to use to distribute for their own friends and such? None of those ticket holders can be vetted for this. If security was a real reason then it would only be for the closely connected and vetted people that would pose NO security threat. Instead, a whole bunch of tickets are given out to the public officials that are most closely associated with this event, and they are told to invite who they will, but no more than the number of tickets that they are given. What if several of those tickets were given to terrorists that wanted to do something? Some were given to New Hanover County Commissioners that are clearly criminals, just not on trial yet. What is someone in a crowd like that going to be able to do? I'd be more worried about terrorists seeking alternate methods. What if they had a RPG and wanted to shoot from the Hilton or the parking deck? How about some novice scuba bomber? Easier and cheaper than airline pilot training. Much more likely problem might arise from the New Hanover County Commissioners overlooking the pollution in the Cape Fear River and the Northeast Cape Fear River and that crap (pardon the pun) seeping through the hull of the nuclear sub and hurting something. Biological warfare from a river born source from stupid county oversight or mismanagement. Sailors don't slip, that water is brown for more than one reason. And you don't wanna drown in that crap!