Posted on 01/03/2010 6:23:59 AM PST by kristinn
U.S. intelligence agencies did not miss a "smoking gun" that could have prevented an alleged attempt to blow up a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day, President Barack Obama's top counterterrorism adviser said Sunday.
White House aide John Brennan cited "lapses" and errors in the sharing of intelligence and clues about the Nigerian man accused in the foiled attempt.
"There is no smoking gun," Brennan said. "There was no single piece of intelligence that said, 'this guy is going to get on a plane.'"
Brennan is leading a White House review of the incident. Obama has said there was a systemic failure to prevent the attack, which he said was instigated by an affiliate in Yemen of the al-Qaida terrorist network.
Obama ordered a thorough look at the shortcomings that permitted the plot, which failed not because of U.S. actions but because the would-be attacker was unable to ignite an explosive device. The president has summoned homeland security officials to meet with him in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab apparently assembled an explosive device, including 80 grams of Pentrite, or PETN, in the aircraft toilet of a Detroit-bound Northwest flight, then planned to detonate it with a syringe of chemicals. Passengers intervened, and the plan failed.
The 23-year-old suspect's name was known to intelligence officials, and his father had passed along his concern about the son's increasing radicalization.
"We had bits and pieces of information," Brennan said on CNN's "State of the Union." The father's warning, he said, was "one set of data."
But Brennan said other information available didn't provide the details needed to map it and attach it to Abdulmutallab.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Was the “No Smoking Bombs” light on?
If there was a smoking gun, even the Obama political hacks would make good Homeland Security appointees. It is there job to put a workable system together, not blame Bush for everything.
Depends on what the definitions of “smoking gun” and “lapse” are.
What would think?
Translation: It's not our fault unless they send out a videotaped news release declaring their intentions a month before an attack.
Does this guy understand that his job is to find “unknown” terrorists?
IMG - this man is a complete tool.
Does he actually think that America has completely forgotten 9/11?
Brennan needs firing.
I guess they figured he bought that one-way ticket just to take it home and frame it.
Just the millions who voted for Zero.
And Obama needs firing. “No smoking gun” is the catch phrase Brennan was tasked by his boss to repeat in his propaganda sessions on the Sunday talk shows. He used it on Fox New Sunday also.
These guys are political apparatchiks covering their behinds. But I think even they - and perhaps even a lot of the more powerful Dems - simply can’t admit to themselves that we now have a president who is on the side of our enemies and will do anything to destroy us.
So, it appears we have made a round-trip back to "The system worked." Government by incompetents.
In other words, the system worked perfectly.
Clearly they were operating under Obamao rules.
That's the entire point of intelligence sharing, you moron. The COLLECTIVE intel indicated a need for the perp to be on the no-fly list. But no one was able to piece it together - and it all fit together quite readily.
This statement alone shows Brennan needs to be fired - he apparently has no concept of data mining.
Passengers intervened, and the plan failed.
This is how the health care takeover will be foiled. The creativity in the market will overcome it. It has to - that's what drives this nation - get it done.
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