Posted on 12/26/2009 11:44:20 AM PST by reaganaut1
Despite extensive spending since 2001 on intelligence and counterterrorism programs, sophisticated airport scanners and elaborate watch lists, it was something simpler that averted disaster on a Christmas Day flight to Detroit: alert and courageous passengers and crew members.
During 19 hours of travel, aboard two flights across three continents, law enforcement officials said, Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab bided his time. Then, just as Northwest Flight 253 finally began its final approach to Detroit around noon on Friday, he tried to ignite the incendiary powder mixture he had taped to his leg, they said.
There were popping sounds, smoke and a commotion as passengers cried out in alarm and tried to see what was happening.
And then history repeated itself. Just as occurred before Christmas in 2001 when Richard C. Reid tried to ignite the plastic explosives hidden in his shoe on a trans-Atlantic flight, fellow passengers jumped on Mr. Abdulmutallab, restraining the 23-year-old Nigerian. Crew members poured bottled water on the flames, snuffing out the sparks of what could have been a planewide conflagration.
That close call was followed by several tense hours as counterterrorism officials checked on other United States-bound flights to determine whether more planes were targets, as in the thwarted 2006 plot to smuggle liquid explosives aboard multiple flights leaving from the United Kingdom.
They found no immediate signs that other flights were in danger, officials said. They tightened airport security but did not elevate the nation’s overall threat level, which has been at orange since 2006.
Although transportation officials had not announced new security measures yet, Air Canada said the Transportation Security Agency would make significant changes to the way passengers are able to move about on aircraft.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
They also used the M-word deep inside the article.
The top of the terror list contains folks who attended tea parties, evangelicals, and pro life families.
what?? they shudda waited for The One to dither intensely!
I hope the passenger beat the guy to death or close to it. What a rotten POS!
Oh great.
“Passenger Syed Jafri, a U.S. citizen who had flown from the United Arab Emirates, said the incident occurred during the plane’s descent. Jafri said he was seated three rows behind the passenger and said he saw a glow, and noticed a smoke smell. Then, he said, “a young man behind me jumped on him.”
Thanks for being a hero Syed.../s
I thought that was what Janet Napolitano got paid for. Never mind, she’s more concerned with x military folks...
Just as I feared: a useless do-nothing, irritating worthless measure.
So the next guy sets off his fireworks 1 hour and 1 minute before landing. Now you can't move about for 2 hours before landing. And so on, until you can't leave your seat for the entire 12-hour flight to Europe.
How absolutely stupidly brain-dead can you get?!
If this ever happens on a plane I am on, the perp will be beaten to a pulp if I have anything to do with it.
There appears to be no limit with the DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO crowd.
Hope the guy that stopped him has a good lawyer.
Pray for America’s Freedom
Dennis,
Had I been on that flight, I would have found the strength to kill this mutant.
Hope the guy that stopped him has a good lawyer.I don’t think Obama will talk with him until after his vacation.
Let's not forget Homeschoolers.
Hope the lawyer that tries to sue the passenger has a good bullet-proof vest.
He should be beaten within 1/1000 of a millimeter of death so that he will live but never recover. Then throw him in prison for life and post his “life” on the web for other mutants to see.
I want to know the name of the government employee who approved the passenger list.
If this bomber was injured in any way, we, as Americans, have a right to expect the heroic passenger to be put on trial for violating the bomber’s human rights, not unlike the three Navy SEALs now having to pay for their heroism.
Isn't the answer ALWAYS something simpler than massive government spending, regulation and speechifying?
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