I don’t know how old you are, but there were quite a few hi-jackings in the sixties, and ones involving the PLO in the seventies.
Some of the sixties ones involved “take me to Cuba” nutters, but the PLO involved hi-jackings in the seventies, by implication involved the Middle East.
But saying that, I flew in and out of the U.S. many times from 1976 through 1983, and I don’t recall any heavy duty security, mind you, I often flew in a blur of vodka, so maybe I had to jump through hoops, but can’t remember doing so.