Downing Street blunders over Detroit plane bomber ( forced to retreat from its claim ....)

Times Online (UK) ^ | January 5, 2010 | Philip Webster, Political Editor, Giles Whittell in Washington and Jenny Booth

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Downing Street was today forced to retreat from its claim that MI5 warned US intelligence over the alleged Christmas Day plane bomber – in the face of a blunt denial from America.

No 10 had ignored usual diplomatic protocols by disclosing that it shared intelligence information with the US about Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the British-educated Nigerian who tried to blow up a plane bound for Detroit.

The Prime Minister's spokesman indicated yesterday that Mr Abdulmutallab was sufficiently under suspicion in Britain to have been named in a file of people based in the UK who had made contact with radical Muslim preachers. The file was said to have been sent to the US authorities in 2008.

He was not singled out as a particular risk, however, as he was not thought to have been radicalised until after he left the UK in October 2008. Normally governments do not allude to intelligence sharing.

The claim touched on raw sensitivities in the US, where a major security review is under way to establish why the attempted attack was not halted by the intelligence services.

American intelligence sources responded to the statement by saying that Gordon Brown's spokesman had made a "mistake".

This morning the Prime Minister's spokesman attempted to clarify the situation, telling the regular briefing of lobby journalists that there was no suggestion that the UK passed intelligence to the US "that they did not act on".

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ping

[goodnesswins]

sounds like a little CYA going on....to me.

[Oldexpat]

Looks like Obama and Brown are in a potato bag race. Or maybe they just have their shoe laces tied together. Or maybe we should throw a bucket of water on them to avoid further embarrassment.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Related thread:

White House accuses Downing Street of making 'a mistake' over intelligence claim

[The Cajun]

Bet you still can't hold the phone that Rahm used when he called Brown's office ;^)

[B-Cause]

The attempted bombing of Delta/Northwest 253 on Christmas Day was not the first from the Islamic terrorists nor will it be the last. Since I am a pilot, I have had people ask what can a passenger do onboard an airplane to help thwart a terrorist attack. Having personal experience with a few events myself, as well as reading articles and hearing stories from other crewmembers, I can give you some information which might assist you in dealing with a suspicious passenger or situation.

---

As Robert Novak said - "Always love your country - but never trust your government"

---

How to Recognize and Fight a Terrorist on a Plane

Click Here

to read this possible life saving advice from an airline pilot.

"de omnibus dubitandum"
doubt everything (especially from our government)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The Telegraph article...link at #5 ...has some very interesting history.

[skeeter]

After the shabby treatment of the Brits by Obama I’m surprised they’re still willing to cover his incompetent arse.

[GregoryFul]

Like, no baggage, one way ticket, cash paid, no passport, warning from dad? Clearly our multi-billion dollar, infinite and unnecessarily intrusive, security force is useless - completely failed against an obvious threat. Disband the useless slouches. Put some thinking agency in place - not some PC vampire agency.

Nevermind, forgetaboutit, our government is dead and gone.

[Marine_Uncle]

"He later added: "Whatever information was passed to the US, they did what they needed to do with it.""
Of course that implies a 2008 time frame.
I have to shave and shower and head off for work in a few minutes. Catch up with all later in the day...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Ernest. Another reason to get rid of Gordon Brown.

[SunkenCiv]

Whoops, thanks Ernest (with ping this time).

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2422510/posts