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Unconnected dots, yet again, on a terror attempt
Washington Post ^ | 12/28/2009 | Editorial

Posted on 12/27/2009 8:51:06 PM PST by Saije

THE THWARTED Christmas Day airplane bombing raises three causes for alarm. First, it illustrates a screening system that remains porous enough to let a suspect board with the same explosive shoe-bomber Richard Reid attempted to use in 2001. Second, it exposes a terrorism bureaucracy too clumsy to catapult the suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, at least to a higher level of preflight scrutiny after his father came forward with warnings that he might pose a danger. Third, if it is true that the suspect received explosives training from al-Qaeda in Yemen, the incident underscores the emergence of that troubled nation as a training ground for terrorists. To that initial list, we would add a fourth: the disturbingly defensive reaction of the Obama administration.

No screening system can be foolproof, and every system must balance security against the need to allow an acceptably free flow of travel. But the system apparently failed in the case of Mr. Abdulmutallab in significant part because available technologies were not employed...

More disturbing is the apparent failure of U.S. authorities to respond swiftly and seriously to warnings by Mr. Abdulmutallab's father about his son's "radicalization and associations" with Islamist extremists. As the recently retired chairman of a major Nigerian bank, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab was a credible source...The notion that there was "insufficient derogatory information available" to do more than add Mr. Abdulmutallab's name to a broad terror watch list, as the administration suggested, is infuriating. This was not an American citizen entitled to due-process protections and the right to enter the country at will. How much more derogatory does information have to be than a father's warning that his son is dabbling in radical Islam?

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: airlinesecurity; failure; flight253; nationalsecurityfail; northwestflight253; obama; terrorists; thenigerian
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The Obama people should expect more of this.
1 posted on 12/27/2009 8:51:06 PM PST by Saije
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To: Enchante; Gapplega
As the recently retired chairman of a major Nigerian bank, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab was a credible source...
2 posted on 12/27/2009 9:04:10 PM PST by Ezekiel (The Obama-nation began with the Inauguration of Desolation.)
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To: Ezekiel
I would expect criticism of Obie from a Washington Post Op-Ed, but not from the Editorial page. Hmmm.
3 posted on 12/27/2009 9:06:20 PM PST by gov_bean_ counter (Sarah Palin - For such a time as this)
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To: Saije

Unconnected dots, disconnected administration...

The buck should, at the least, stop at the Office of Homeland Security.
Napolitano should resign.


4 posted on 12/27/2009 9:09:17 PM PST by citizencon
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To: citizencon
Napolitano should resign.

2 days ago.

Holder should resign and Barry should be impeached for the KSM decision. The ENEMIES within.

5 posted on 12/27/2009 9:12:20 PM PST by PGalt
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To: gov_bean_ counter
The Post is offering the administration the opportunity to let Napolitano fall on her sword before the blame goes all the way to the president.
6 posted on 12/27/2009 9:12:35 PM PST by Publius (Do you want the people who run Amtrak to take out your appendix?)
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To: Publius

The administration isn’t thinking about swords.

It’s thinking about 7-irons, pitching wedges, putters and the such. lol!

But...you have a good point.


7 posted on 12/27/2009 9:18:31 PM PST by Balata
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To: Balata
Obie is now officially “lost” in his capacity as CIC. The 3:00 call came and he didn't answer. Probably assumed the fetal position in Momma Obama’s sizable lap.
8 posted on 12/27/2009 9:21:04 PM PST by gov_bean_ counter (Sarah Palin - For such a time as this)
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To: Ezekiel

WaPo is spewing disinformation even as they seem to be critical of the admin. There were no “dots” which needed to be connected in this case -— a clear notice was given to US officials by the father that the son was a radicalized Islamist who had disappeared and may be in Yemen (known Al Qaeda hangout and training grounds)..... they guy is not a US citizen or in any way someone we need to welcome to our shores...... at a minimum his visa should have been revoked and he never should have been on a flight to the USA......

the “connect the dots” theme is meant to make this event seem on a par with pre-911 failures..... but the liberal/bureaucratic failures in this case are even more egregious even if the catastrophic results were averted -— b/c in this case there were no “dots” of connection needed, and we already have the horrendous example of 911 to know what the real risks are -— we should not be allowing radical Islamists with Al Qaeda connections to have visas or to get on commercial flights to our country, period!!

No ways should our officials be playing ostrich as in the Clintonized pre-911 days......

This matter should have been a “no brainer” as the saying goes -— and still the Obamanation managed to screw it up.


9 posted on 12/27/2009 9:21:27 PM PST by Enchante (I Survived another day in the Obamanation, and all I get is this lousy t-shirt!!)
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To: Publius
The Post is offering the administration the opportunity to let Napolitano fall on her sword before the blame goes all the way to the president.

I suspect his speech is already being written to blame President Bush.

10 posted on 12/27/2009 9:23:48 PM PST by onyx
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To: Saije
THE THWARTED Christmas Day airplane bombing raises three causes for alarm.

That bombing was thwarted about like an attack was thwarted if an attacker swung a baseball bat at someone's head and missed a little. Nothing was thwarted, the bomb didn't ignite and explode as planned and then the bomber was subdued by passengers and crew. Just a dud bomb.

11 posted on 12/27/2009 9:26:03 PM PST by Will88
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To: onyx
Over/Under prediction for a Dick Cheney appearance on Fox...

2 DAYS!!!

12 posted on 12/27/2009 9:26:20 PM PST by gov_bean_ counter (Sarah Palin - For such a time as this)
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To: Will88
This is like leaving your front door open and claiming success when the robber's gun jams...

Crazy.

13 posted on 12/27/2009 9:27:36 PM PST by gov_bean_ counter (Sarah Palin - For such a time as this)
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To: Balata
"you have a good point."

double ouch.

14 posted on 12/27/2009 9:28:19 PM PST by cyn (Courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it. ~Mark Twain)
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To: gov_bean_ counter

I’ll have to take OVER 2 days, but only because Sean is off until after the first of the year. Oh wait, Greta is doing her shows LIVE!

Fingers crossed for MONDAY!


15 posted on 12/27/2009 9:29:55 PM PST by onyx
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To: citizencon
“Unconnected dots, disconnected administration...”

“The buck should, at the least, stop at the Office of Homeland Security.
Napolitano should resign.”

Why? The multi-billion fantastically sophisticated system is working...the plane didn't blow up...< /sarc>

16 posted on 12/27/2009 9:46:58 PM PST by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day.")
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To: Enchante

It’s as if terrorists are merely drawing images on an Etch-a-Sketch. A few shakes by the Obama administration, and there’s nothing more to see, connect, or erase. The One is busy - he has a wave to catch.


17 posted on 12/27/2009 9:47:58 PM PST by Ezekiel (The Obama-nation began with the Inauguration of Desolation.)
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To: Saije

Get rid of these moron Air screeners! Most of the time real police officers have to be there anyway to do real work!There are enough police officers sitting behind desks nationwide make them do the air screener work I have ZERO Faith in the joke of people they hire as screeners at airports! If some terrorist came in to do harm do think those nit wits would stand a chance they would run like little fairies!This plan was ramrodded by John Nitwit Mccain after Sep 11th they shuld have done a better job getting better people like law enforcement officials!


18 posted on 12/27/2009 10:06:19 PM PST by KCDOUG
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To: Saije

Had they reacted more promptly and properly it would have only been a matter of time before some assho!e would have screamed “racial profiling”.


19 posted on 12/27/2009 10:11:48 PM PST by blake6900
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To: Saije
But, but, but...obama was on vacation in Hawaii during these two incidents and....uhhhhh.......uh oh.

Every noice how similar "Alibi" is to "obama lie"?
20 posted on 12/27/2009 10:16:13 PM PST by FrankR (It's NOT a "conspiracy theory", unless you just refuse to see and listen to the facts!)
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