[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

the decision to remove a passenger from a plane, and return to the gate if it is necessary to do so, is the captain's. By quoting me out of contact it was as if I said the flight attendant had that authority.

As a practical matter, isn't the REAL authority based with the flight attendant?? How many times do you think the Captain actually over-rules the recommendation of the flight attendant to remove a passenger? Perhaps if the Captain happened to see the incident in question he might overrule. Otherwise, if a flight attendant says I was feeding a dinosaur; and wants me kicked-off (I had an animal outside its kennel!), will she be overruled? OK, perhaps the Captain, in this example, will over-look that dinosaur. Seriously, in the majority of cases, where a passenger is removed, does not the Captain essentially function as little more than a rubber stamp for the flight attendant’s determination? As to my dinosaur—has anyone seen that commercial with the 800 pound gorilla in first class?

They would then have to offload his bags, re-print the manifest, re-calculate fuel loads and weight and balance, etc.

Excellent quoting of the regulations. On the other hand, how many times is the door simply closed behind the exiting passenger, then the aircraft leaves with the ejected passenger's baggage still on-board. As another poster noted--this is a flaw a terrorist could exploit. I realize such a violation is less likely in the case of an overseas flight.