Posted on 12/27/2009 9:11:02 AM PST by tobyhill
Despite mounting evidence of a sophisticated international plot to bring down a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day, the man charged in the thwarted attack — who was on U.S. officials' radar for years — was never considered a sufficient threat to keep from flying.
The alleged Christmas Day terrorist had been in one of the U.S. government's largest terror databases since November, when his father brought him to the attention of embassy officials in Nigeria.
But Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab came to the attention of intelligence officials months before that, according to a U.S. government official involved in the investigation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
Still, none of the information the government had on Abdulmutallab rose to the level of putting him on the official terror watch list or no-fly list. On Christmas Eve, the 23-year-old Nigerian — who later claimed to law enforcement that he was operating on orders from Al Qaeda — was able to carry a concealed explosive device onto a U.S.-bound airplane.
A former Homeland Security official told Fox News that Abdulmutallab's seat selection does not appear to be accidental, and that he was sitting in one of the two most vulnerable parts of the plane. The suspect was sitting in seat 19A, which is over the fuel tanks, atop the wing and next to the skin of the aircraft.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
As our Homeland specialist Janet said this am; “the system worked”...more stupidity from Washington.
When Janet opens her mouth, prepare for snakes and venemous reptiles coming out. She is incapable of truth.
Not only is Napolitano dumb, she is dangerously dumb.
The entire polititical establishment in DC must be made to understand that WE will not stand for more restrictions on OUR Freedom - any new travel restrictions should be aimed at all Muslims + anybody on the broadest “watch list” which I understand has about 500,000 names.
The NWA jerk was on the broad watch list - but we’re too PC to move him to the no-fly list after his Father warns Hillary’s State Department. We are led by fools.
Not only is Napolitano dumb, she is dangerously dumb.
The entire polititical establishment in DC must be made to understand that WE will not stand for more restrictions on OUR Freedom - any new travel restrictions should be aimed at all Muslims + anybody on the broadest “watch list” which I understand has about 500,000 names.
The NWA jerk was on the broad watch list - but we’re too PC to move him to the no-fly list after his Father warns Hillary’s State Department. We are led by fools.
So let me get this straight: Nigerian man walks into U.S. Embassy and claims his son is a “threat.”
Meanwhile, homeland security analysts are still looking for ways to protect the country from “right wingers and tea partyers” based on threat assessment reports from Clinton to Obama.
If the sheer incompetence and stupidity of this administration weren’t so damned dangerous, it would be hysterically funny!
Does anyone have a timeline when DumBO gave his read in Nigeria and when Abdulmutallab’s father reported him?
and despite the fact that England (one of the countries that used to respect US) wouldn’t let him back there...
This is a State Department failure as well as a Homeland Security failure.
When the president is a muslim, muslims will be given special treatment. The threat they pose will be ignored. That’s just how it’s going to be.
Tapper thinks so too. He kept questioning Napolitano, but she kept handing Tapper a crap sandwich.
TAPPER: Well, let me ask you a question about intelligence-sharing. When the suspect’s father went to the U.S. embassy in Nigeria and said, I’m worried because my son is displaying extremist religious views, how was that information shared with other parts of the U.S. government, or did it just stay at that U.S. embassy?
NAPOLITANO: Well, again, we are going to go back and really do a minute-by-minute, day-by-day scrub of that sort of thing.....(yada,yada,yada)
TAPPER: But, Secretary Napolitano, you keep saying(yada,yada,yada) everybody acted the way they were supposed to. Clearly the passengers and the crew of that Northwest Airlines flight did. But I think there are questions about whether everybody in the U.S. government did.
Great Britain thought he was enough of a threat not to let him into their country. It’s only JaNUT and Company that wouldn’t recognize JaHeed if they were looking directly into his underwear.
“The entire polititical establishment in DC must be made to understand that WE will not stand for more restrictions on OUR Freedom - any new travel restrictions should be aimed at all Muslims...”
I still remember waiting in line to board a plane in Metro Airport a few years ago (post 9/11). In that line, I saw a blue-haired grandmother, possibly in her eighties, taking out of line and vigorously searched behind a partition wall, while a Muslim woman of three, including 2 infants in a stroller and her in a full Burka, was allowed to board the plane without so much as a passing glance.
This is the kind of PC bulls*** that threatens us all, and I’m sick and tired of it. Next time I see that again, I’m going to ask the TSA morons why such a person isn’t being searched!
And do you mean to tell me that anyone who is on it is not screened at all before you let him on a plane? Had I been pulled out of line (because I'm so dangerous, you know), do you think there would have been a chance in Hades that I could have made it thru screening with a bomb strapped to my leg?????
If we collectively were serious about homeland security, we would have U.S. marshalls in every international airport on the globe. Some country doesn’t like it? Tough. They don’t get to fly their planes into international airports that connect with any airport in the U.S. See how their economy does after a week..
Something I’m astounded has not happened yet is an IED inside on of our shipping containers. Last I looked it up, over 95% of all containers coming into the U.S. ports are still not scanned.
Almost as if they wanted another attack on this country...
He— no, any of us would have been stopped.
A group of us went to Long Island several years ago to a wedding, because our flight back was canceled we were put on a different airline. All of us were put in the “orange line” at the airport. When I asked why, they said we were suspicious for buying a one way ticket! I said no we didn’t our flight was canceled, which made no difference. This was four middle aged women from Ohio! We were all thoroughly searched, and horribly embarrassed.
Any list that has over half a million is not a serious list....
“Any list that has over half a million is not a serious list....”
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