Secret Service: Third Gate-Crasher at Dinner with Obama

There is a pattern here. On three separate (Fort Hood, Christmas underwear bomber, White House party crashers) occasions within the last 3 months there have breeches of security that could have been disastrous. You can bet America's enemies' mouths are watering. This President is starting to look the disastrous previous occupant of the White House. It's only a matter of time before there is a disaster (alas 9-11, Katrina, or the Stock Market crash) during the tenure of this administration.

The Salahis weren't the only gate-crashers living it up at the White House state dinner last November.

The Secret Service revealed Monday that a third individual who was not on the guest list made it into the dinner, though the agency says the individual went through security screening and did not appear to have any interaction with President Obama.

The Secret Service, which did not name the individual, said the information about the third party-crasher came out in the course of the investigation into the breach at the Nov. 24 dinner honoring India's prime minister. The Secret Service said in a written statement that the individual traveled from a "local hotel" where the Indian delegation was staying and arrived with the group at the dinner.

"This individual went through all required security measures along with the rest of the official delegation at the hotel, and boarded a bus/van with the delegation guests en route to the White House," the Secret Service said.

The investigation was launched after the Secret Service found that Michaele and Tareq Salahi got into the state dinner without an invitation. The agency acknowledged the officers on duty did not check whether they were on the list. President Obama has since called the breach a "screw-up" while the Salahis have maintained their innocence.

Here's another security breech:

A former senior intelligence official is confirming that the suicide bomber who killed eight people inside a CIA base in Afghanistan was a Jordanian doctor recruited by Jordanian intelligence to support U.S. efforts against Al Qaeda.

The bombing killed seven CIA employees -- four officers and three contracted security guards -- and a Jordanian intelligence officer, Ali bin Zaid, according to a second former U.S. intelligence official. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.

The former senior intelligence official confirmed an NBC News report Monday that the bomber was Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, a 36-year old doctor from Zarqa, Jordan. He was arrested over a year ago by Jordanian intelligence, and was thought to have been flipped to support U.S. and Jordanian efforts against Al Qaeda.

U.S. Embassy Closed in Yemen: Qaeda Threat Cause

They got us running scared again. This is the third straight President unable to deal with the al Qaeda threat. We keep getting brought to our knees by a handful of murderers. The greatest solution is to start treating the average Muslim with some respect. Stop supporting Arab dictators, and giving Israel a blank check.

U.S. President Barack Obama's top counter-terrorism advisor says a threat from an al-Qaida affiliate led to the closure of the American embassy in Yemen. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports this same group has been linked to the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a U.S. airliner.

John Brennan says the embassy was closed to protect the lives of its staff.

"There are indications that al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula is targeting our embassy and targeting our personnel and we are not going to take any chances with the lives of our diplomats and others who are at that embassy," he said.

The president's homeland security advisor told the FOX News Sunday television program the United States is working with the Yemeni government to deal with the terrorist threat.

On NBC's Meet the Press, he was asked if that means Yemen is a major new front in the war on terrorism.

Brennan said it has long been an area of concern.

"We have been focused on this issue," he added. "We need to make sure that we continue to provide the training, the support that Yemen needs to counter this very serious threat."

The United States and Britain have agreed to fund a new counter-terrorism police unit in Yemen. The British government, which has also closed its embassy there, is hosting a conference later this month designed to boost Yemen's ability to fight terrorism.

On Saturday, President Obama said an al-Qaida affiliate in Yemen apparently trained and equipped the Nigerian man accused in the failed Christmas Day attack on a Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight.

Brennan - who is leading a White House investigation into the incident - told ABC's This Week there were bits and pieces of information about the suspect, but no definitive evidence.

"There was no single piece of intelligence, a 'smoking gun' if you will, that said that Mr. Abdulmutallab was going to carry out his attack against that aircraft," he explained.

Congress is planning hearings into the matter over the coming weeks. The top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee says he wants to know why so many Yemenis held at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba have been sent back home in recent years.

Senator Kit Bond of Missouri told Fox News Sunday many of those returned to Yemen are now active in al-Qaida.

Meet the Press (1-3-2010) Transcript, Video

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Complete transcript. Excerpt below:

MR. GREGORY: This security threat, the reason to close the embassy, is it because of specific intelligence that says an attack is coming?

MR. BRENNAN: Yes, there are indications that al-Qaeda's planning to carry out an attack in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. I spoke with our ambassador down there, Ambassador Seche, this morning, as well as last night. Both the U.S. and the British embassies have been closed to give the Yemeni government an opportunity to thwart that threat and the plans that are afoot right now from al-Qaeda.

MR. GREGORY: A threat against our embassy?

MR. BRENNAN: It's a threat--they--we know that they have been targeting our embassy, our embassy personnel, and we want to make sure that we do everything possible to safeguard our diplomats and others that are down there. So that was the prudent step to take.

MR. GREGORY: The president talking about al-Qaeda in Yemen. Is Yemen a new front in this battle against al-Qaeda?

MR. BRENNAN: No, it's not a new front. We've known about it for quite some time; and that's why from the very first day of this administration, and even in the last administration, there has been tremendous focus on Yemen. I traveled out to Yemen twice over the past several months, I spoke with President Saleh. I spoke with President Saleh this week. We have been focused on this issue. We need to make sure that we continue to provide the training, the support that Yemen needs to counter this very serious threat. There are several hundred al-Qaeda members right now inside of Yemen, and the fight is being taken to them. Events during the last month demonstrated the Yemeni government resolve, and there are a number of operatives and leaders of al-Qaeda in Yemen that are no longer with us today because of those actions.

MR. GREGORY: Is the U.S. providing fire power to the, the Yemen government?

MR. BRENNAN: The U.S. is providing a range of support that includes security, intelligence, and military support to the Yemeni government. We're doing this in close cooperation with the Yemenis, we're doing it the right way, and we've been able to make some progress.

Transcript: ABC This Week (1-3-2010)

Complete transcript. Excerpt below:

MORAN: Well, this morning, there is news out of Yemen that the United States embassy has been closed for security reasons and the British embassy closed, as well. What can you tell us about the intelligence? What is it showing about the new threats to U.S. interests there?

BRENNAN: Well, I think it underscores the threat that Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula poses to U.S. interests. I spoke with our ambassador in Sana’a, Steve Seche, there earlier this morning and last night, looked at the intelligence that’s available as far as the plans for Al Qaida to carry out attacks in Sana’a, possibly against our embassy, possibly against U.S. personnel, decide that it was the prudent thing to do to shut the embassy, but we’re working very closely with the Yemeni authorities to address the threat that is out there. But, again, it just demonstrates that Al Qaida is determined to carry out these attacks and more determined to thwart those attacks.

MORAN: There’s a live threat, there’s an active threat?

BRENNAN: There is. Al Qaida has several hundred members, in fact, in Yemen, and they’ve grown in strength. That’s why, from the very first day of this administration, we’ve been focused on Yemen. I’ve traveled out to Yemen twice, talked with President Salih, in fact, just this past week. We’re continuing this dialogue. We’ve provided equipment, training. We’re cooperating very closely.

So this is something that we’ve known about for a while. We’re determined to destroy Al Qaida, whether it’s in Pakistan, Afghanistan or in Yemen, and we will get there.

MORAN: And there’s a report that the British and -- and the United States are now setting up a counterterrorism police force in Yemen. The efforts that you’ve described, counterterrorism police force, is this evidence that this is a new front? And does it require more American boots on the ground in Yemen?

BRENNAN: Well, we’ve been investing in Yemen for many, many months now, and we’re working very closely not just with the Yemenis, but with our international partners, with the British, with the Saudis, and others to make sure that we provide the Yemeni government the wherewithal to carry out this fight against Al Qaida.

So it’s not a new front. It’s one that we’ve known about. It’s one that we’ve been able to make tremendous, I think, progress and gains. Just this past month, we and the Yemenis were able to identify the location of some of these Al Qaida operatives and commanders and leaders, successful strikes that were carried out, and there are several of the Al Qaida members, operatives, and the senior leaders who are no longer with us today as a result of those actions.

Transcript: Face the Nation (1-3-2010)

Complete transcript. Excerpt below:

SCHIEFFER: Thank you. Well, let’s get right to the big story. And the news overnight of course was that the U.S. embassy and the British embassy in Yemen had been closed because of a security threat.

David Martin, what have you been able to find out about this?

MARTIN: Usually when you close an embassy, it’s because there has been chatter on the Internet and on cell phones about some sort of vague attack against Western interests. That’s different from what almost happened on Christmas Day in Yemen.

There was a specific plot to attack the American embassy on Christmas Day, and the U.S. preempted that attack with an air strike of its own. It launched jets off a carrier and cruise missiles from ships offshore. And it hit two training camps in Yemen.

And General David Petraeus has said that they intercepted four suicide bombers who were on their way to the capital. And they also killed some senior al Qaeda in Yemen operators. So when you look at that and you remember what else happened on Christmas Day, namely the near-miss on the bombing of the airliner in-bound to Detroit, Yemen -- al Qaeda in Yemen really was planning a Christmas surprise.

SCHIEFFER: So what you’re telling us here is these were U.S. aircraft flying off a U.S. carrier that carried out the strike. We heard about that they had -- that there had been some strikes, but the credit seemed to be going to the Yemenis. This was a U.S. operation?

MARTIN: It was. The Yemenis gave the green light. It was done with their permission. But this was an American strike conducted with American intelligence and designed to preempt an attack against an American target.

SCHIEFFER: But apparently, Bob Orr, they still think the threat is out there because today both the British embassy and the American embassy in Yemen have been closed. What about this guy that was caught on this attempt on the U.S. airliner? He has been talking a lot since they took him into captivity.

ORR: After he was arrested, we’re talking about Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the man on Northwest Flight 253. After he was arrested, he almost immediately gave up everything to the FBI. In fact, he was so cooperative, that one investigator said it was almost like he was bragging. And there was some fear that maybe he was spreading disinformation.

It turns out so far that the story he has told has checked out every step of the way. He said he went to Yemen, check. He said he got explosives there. Said he trained with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula there.

He told us one thing that’s very haunting -- or he told investigators (INAUDIBLE). And that is that when he was training in Yemen, he trained with a number of other people. He didn’t know how many. He called them his brothers. He said though we were segregated. And he felt that was because he wasn’t supposed to know too much about what other people were up to.

If you take that information at face value, you have to assume there may be something out there.

Full-Body Scanners: British Airports Now Using Them

Why did it take this latest incident, 8 years after 9-11, to employ them. Until recently airport security required us to take off our shoes. Obviously, the politicians are not stupid enough to require us to take off our underwear. I had been arguing for some time that the practice of removing shoes was a false sense of security. Now we have a new excuse that will not make us safer. We need a government that has an effective worldwide strategy for fighting terrorism. We need a new agency made up of skilled counter-terrorists. We need an agency that connects the dots. We obviously have a government that is clueless:

Prime Minister Gordon Brown says full-body scanners will be introduced in Britain's airports in the wake of the failed Christmas Day bombing attempt of a U.S. airliner.

Brown told the British Broadcasting Corp. on Sunday that all airport security would be increased in Britain, and all passengers even those only transiting through the country will have their hand luggage screened for traces of explosives.

The suspect in the failed Northwest Airlines bombing had changed planes in The Netherlands and gone through security but not through a full-body scanner.

Britain's main airport operator BAA says it has ordered full-body scanners and would introduce them as soon as possible. BAA operates Europe's busiest airport, Heathrow, as well as other British airports.

Heathrow and Manchester airports have had trials using the full-body scanners.

This individual should have been on the radar. It was laughable failure:

British intelligence officials knew that the Nigerian man suspected of trying to bomb a Detroit-bound airliner had ties to U.K. extremists did not consider him enough of a high risk to alert American authorities, a senior British official said Sunday.

Officials realized about a year after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab came to London to study in 2005 that he was in contact with Islamic extremists whose communications were being monitored, a senior government official told The Associated Press on Sunday.

But there were no signs that Abdulmutallab wanted to target the United States or was considering turning toward violence, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of his work.

"It was clear he was reaching out to radical extremists in the U.K. but there was nothing to indicate he was violent," the official said. "There is a very large number of people in the U.K. who express interest in radical extremism but never turn to violence. He only pinged up on our radar because of other people we were interested in."

French New Year: Cars Burned by Youths

It is a sign of a deteriorating West. Poverty and despair always lead to bad things.

Youths burned 1,137 cars across France overnight as New Year's Eve celebrations once again turned violent, the French Interior Ministry said on Friday.

Car burnings are regular occurrences in poor suburbs that ring France's big cities, but the arson is especially prevalent during New Year's Eve revelry.

The number of vehicles torched was only 10 short of the record 1,147 burned this time last year, even though the Interior Ministry mobilized 45,000 police during the night -- 10,000 more than 12 months ago.

It said police detained 549 people overnight, compared with 288 in 2009 New Year celebrations. However, unlike in previous years, there were no direct clashes between police and youths. "The few disturbances that did take place were brought swiftly under control," the ministry said in a statement.

It's that same terrible poverty that leads people to do terrible things to other people:

Tribal elders in a Pakistani village where a suicide car bomber killed nearly 100 people insisted Saturday that residents will keep defying the Taliban, even as the bloodshed laid bare the risks facing the citizens' militias that make up a key piece of Pakistan's arsenal against extremism.

The New Year's Day attack on the northwest village of Shah Hasan Khel was one of the deadliest in a surge of bombings that has killed more than 600 across Pakistan since October. Police believe the attacker meant to detonate his 550 pounds (250 kilograms) of explosives at a meeting of tribesmen who supervise an anti-Taliban militia. Instead, the blast went off at a nearby outdoor volleyball court, killing at least 96 people.

The explosion leveled some three dozen mud-brick homes and covered the village with dust, smoke and the smell of burning flesh. On Saturday, numerous homes received visitors offering condolences, and funeral prayers were held. Many of the residents in the village of 5,000, which lies near Pakistan's militant-filled tribal belt, were too scared to name any possible culprits, but others were defiant.

"The people are in severe grief and fear -- it is a demoralizing thing," said Raham Dil Khan, a rifle-toting, 70-something member of the tribal council. "We want the government to provide security, but one thing is very clear: The committee will stand against every type of terrorism and despite this great loss we will continue our work."

None of the elders at the gathering was killed. The 28-member council had been debating punishing relatives of militants suspected in the recent killing of a fellow tribal leader, Khan said.

Across Pakistan's northwest, where the police force is thin, underpaid and under-equipped, various villages and tribes have taken security into their own hands over the past two years by setting up citizen militias to fend off the Taliban.

The government has encouraged such "lashkars," and in some areas they have proven key to reducing militant activity. In the Bajur tribal region, for instance, the militias helped turn the tide against militants during a 2008-2009 army offensive. And in the northwest's Swat Valley, citizens have set up militias to prevent militants from staging a comeback as the army continues an offensive there.

Rush Limbaugh: I Got the Best Medical Treatment Money Could Buy

Rush Limbaugh once got into trouble because of getting access to powerful medication from different sources to treat an addiction that would not have been possible for you and I.

Now he is bragging about getting superior medical treatment from the best health care system in the world. You can bet he did not spend 8 hours waiting to be taken care of. He did not die because he was waiting for medical care in a hospital that was overwhelmed. And he doesn't have to worry about insurance or medical bills. After all, he's a millionaire.

In turned out Limbaugh was not having a heart attack. But you can bet he got a battery of tests. Just to make sure:

...Those tests can include an EKG to test the heart's electrical rhythm, a blood test for enzymes that may indicate damage to heart tissue, and a chest X-ray.

Patients could be given a stress test to see how the heart functions under pressure.

Doctors could also order an angiogram, in which dye is injected to examine the coronary arteries.

"Sometimes there may be one that's blocked and one or two, it's amenable to a stent. Put a stent in there to allow the blocked area to open up," Zunin said.

Treatment could involve a stent or angioplasty to open a clogged artery. The patient might have open heart surgery with a multiple bypass.

People with an angioplasty usually stay in a hospital for a day or two and are then asked to avoid strenuous activity for two weeks. Bypass surgery usually means several days in a hospital and a six to 12-week recovery.

And how many of us can afford to be vacationing in Hawaii at the time we're feeling chest pains. That's what you call going in style:

The Republican Party here in Hawaii says Limbaugh had been staying in Kona, not far from another high ranking democrat, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. And since President Obama is also here so is the national press corp. who have been staking out the hospital following the Limbaugh story.

Limbaugh arrived in Hawaii December 23 and planned to stay until January 4. It's unknown if he will return to the mainland sooner. A statement on his website says he appreciates your prayers and well wishes.

The greatful patient even found the time, in a conference room alloted to him, something not done for just anybody, to give medical advice. He conveniently ignored the fact that many millions of Americans neglect their health because they lack health insurance. This is something Mr.Limbaugh didn't mention while opposing health care reform:

With the physician who treated him, Dr. Joana Magno, by his side, Limbaugh made a plea for others who may have a similar experience not to wait around before calling 911.

"I'm 58, will be 59 in a couple of weeks - you start thinking about these kinds of things. Don't mess with it,” he said. “Any time you have heart pain or chest pain and you have no idea what it is and it's something you've never experienced before, turn it over to professionals right off the bat."

Limbaugh thanked well wishers who have reached out to him over the past two days.

Report: Guns Drawn in NBA Locker Room

This is insane. Violence by professional athletes has become an epidemic. We have a sports industry that puts profit above education and personal responsibility. An athlete is basically treated like a god in our culture. That has to change. They are viewed as role models in the poor communities they come from. This behavior sends the wrong message. Is it any it wonder that gun violence has gotten out of control. Although the greatest factor in the profusion of guns in our society is the NRA, and the whore politicians they've bought off. Even this President has remained silent on this issue because of the fear of the powerful gun lobby. If true, both of players should be suspended for at least one year from the NBA. And I guarantee that won't happen. No one wants to do the right thing.

in reference to:

"The last-place Washington Wizards might have wanted a new run and gun offense - but not like this. Star point guard Gilbert Arenas has been tweeting about reports that the locker room of the team (formerly known as the Bullets) almost became the OK Corral, when Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittendon allegedly drew guns on each other during an argument over a gambling debt: Wizards player Mike Miller told reporters he'd never seen Arenas and Crittendon argue in the locker room at the Verizon Center, and had never seen firearms there. Arenas responded with a flurry of messages on Twitter, at times making light of the news but also making one tweet that read somewhat like a denial: "I understand this is serious..but if u ever met me you know i dont do serious things im a goof ball this story today dont sound goofy to me." Arenas later tweeted he couldn't talk about the report the way he wanted to."
- Report: Guns Drawn in NBA Locker Room - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Obama Ties Failed Plane Attack to Al Qaeda

Not very reassuring. This failure is no where near as that of Bush. But it was bad enough. Can we trust the government to do everything to public us. I'm not convinced. How about hearings about how to fix something that should have been fixed by now. Better yet, we need a non-partisan commission on reform our terrorism fighting strategy. In those hearings, there should be consideration of new agency/department set up specifically to fight terrorism. That's what's really lacking. Homeland Security is a toothless and worthless agency. And CIA and FBI are not cutting it.

in reference to:

"In his first radio and Internet address of the new year, Mr. Obama also rebutted attacks by former Vice President Dick Cheney and other Republicans who since the incident have accused him of not recognizing that the struggle against terrorists is a war. Mr. Obama said he was well aware that “our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred.” The president’s speech, taped from Hawaii where he is nearing the end of a 10-day holiday vacation, was the third time he has publicly addressed the failed attack on Northwest Flight 253 bound for Detroit on Dec. 25. Mr. Obama noted that he has received preliminary reports about the incident but gave no more details about how a Nigerian man with known radical views was allowed to board a flight to the United States with explosives in his underwear. Mr. Obama’s comments about the involvement of Al Qaeda, however, were the most direct to date by the highest reaches of the American government. Administration officials and intelligence analysts previously had said they were increasingly confident that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, as the Yemeni branch calls itself, was involved, as it claimed. But the president until now had shied away from referencing that until analysts were further along in their assessment of the group’s activities and its ties to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian charged with attempting to blow up the airliner. “We’re learning more about the suspect,” Mr. Obama said in the Saturday address. “We know that he traveled to Yemen, a country grappling with crushing poverty and deadly insurgencies. It appears that he joined an affiliate of Al Qaeda and that this group, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, trained him, equipped him with those explosives and directed him to attack that plane headed for America.”"
- Obama Ties Failed Plane Attack to Al Qaeda - NYTimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Heritage Foundation: “Term Limits: The Only Way to Clean Up Congress”

Public support for term limits has not wavered since this article was written over 15 years ago.

in reference to:

"Such substantial public support suggests widespread distaste for careerism in politics, as well as a conviction that continual infusion of fresh blood into the federal legislature will be good for both the Congress and the country. Support for term limits extends to significant majorities of diverse demographic groups: polls show that majorities of men, women, blacks, whites, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents all favor term limits, typically by 60 percent or better. (New York Times/CBS survey of 1,515 adults, April 1990.) Such politically diverse figures as Ed Koch, Doug Wilder, Ralph Nader, Paul Tsongas, and George Will support term limits; over 100 Members of Congress have signed a discharge petition to force a vote in the House of Representatives on a constitutional amendment; and both Ross Perot and numerous United We Stand America chapters have made term limits a central goal. The United States Supreme Court has preempted a major argument of opponents — that term limits are clearly unconstitutional — by accepting a state case for review. Regardless of the outcome of the case, however, term limits are here to stay as an important issue on the American political landscape. Term limits are a powerful political force, as demonstrated by the results of numerous state referenda, state legislative outcomes, and candidate election results. Term limits are a vital political reform that would bring new perspectives to Congress, mandate frequent legislative turnover, and diminish incentives for wasteful election-related federal spending that currently flourish in a careerist congressional culture."
- Heritage Foundation: “Term Limits: The Only Way to Clean Up Congress” « People's Term Limits Blog (view on Google Sidewiki)

“Time to Resurrect the Term Limits Movement”

Obviously elections have become meaningless. The only solution for beginning to take back our government, now, is the People's Term Limits movement.

in reference to:

"Why must the importance of issues that impact our daily lives, and what they portend for our progeny, be degraded by relating them to the personal desires of our duly elected representatives to retain their access to cushy benefits and the perks of power? Are not the ramifications to our collective interests of national fiscal responsibility, defense of our country, energy independence, and health care policy more important than the career longevity of our congressmen? It seems we elect serious and sincere individuals to go to Washington on our behalf and tend to our national interests. And for the most part, they are that. But once they become accustomed to the special benefits self-endowed by themselves and their antecedents, their interest turns from the merits of the issues to how their positions on the issues will impact their ability to retain the accouterments of power and representation. In this context, the issues become “all about them.” The quest to maintain membership among the favored few becomes a barrier to voting their conscience and tending to what is in the best interests of those who sent them there."
- People's Term Limits Blog (view on Google Sidewiki)

Somalia: Plane Attack Attempted in November

Could these two incidents be trial runs for a larger attack? Are you confident the government will prevent it? I'm not confident.

in reference to:

"A man tried to board a commercial airliner in Mogadishu last month carrying powdered chemicals, liquid and a syringe that could have caused an explosion in a case bearing chillingly similarities to the terrorist plot to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner, officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The Somali man - whose name has not yet been released - was arrested by African Union peacekeeping troops before the Nov. 13 Daallo Airlines flight took off. It had been scheduled to travel from Mogadishu to the northern Somali city of Hargeisa, then to Djibouti and Dubai. A Somali police spokesman, Abdulahi Hassan Barise, said the suspect is in Somali custody. "We don't know whether he's linked with al Qaeda or other foreign organizations, but his actions were the acts of a terrorist. We caught him red-handed," said Barise. A Nairobi-based diplomat said the incident in Somalia is similar to the attempted attack on the Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day in that the Somali man had a syringe, a bag of powdered chemicals and liquid - tools similar to those used in the Detroit attack. The diplomat spoke on condition he not be identified because he isn't authorized to release the information."
- Somalia: Plane Attack Attempted in Nov. - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Underwear Bomber: The Government's Ineptitude Continues to Endanger American's

Nothing demonstrates more the governments lack of concern for American lives than the fact that the agency in charge of airport security does not have a boss almost a year into Obama's presidency.

Two federal agencies charged with keeping potential terrorists off planes and out of the country remain without their top leaders.

The Obama administration took more than eight months to nominate anyone to head the Transportation Security Administration and the Customs and Border Protection agency. Those two agencies will be at the forefront of discussions as security policies are reviewed in the aftermath of the attempted Christmas Day terrorist attack on an international flight bound for Detroit.

But the Senate hasn't set a date for hearings on the Customs position, with other matters such as health care dominating the agenda. Former U.S. attorney Alan Bersin is Obama's nominee for the post.

Meanwhile South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint has placed a hold on the president's choice for TSA, police detective Erroll Southers, over his concerns that Southers might let TSA screeners join a labor union.

Too many lists. Are they any good? And is anyone actually looking into them?

The man accused of trying to blow up a U.S.-bound airliner was not flagged in Britain as a potential terror suspect — he was merely put on a standard watch list of people whose visa applications were rejected, British officials said Monday.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian who had graduated from a London university last year, had his subsequent visa application denied in May 2009. Government officials said the school on his application form was not a government-approved institution.

[...]Home Secretary Alan Johnson said U.S. authorities should have been informed that Abdulmutallab had been placed on the U.K.list and believed all procedures had been followed correctly.

So what now? No one is saying it. Does airline security in future ask everyone to take off their underwear? And if not, why not? And doesn't this show stupidity of having people taking their shoes off at airports? Demand a explanation. And while you're at it, ask some politician why don't we have an agency/department that will prevent, investigate and spy on terrorists. Clearly neither the FBI or CIA are up to the job.

Looking back, analysts say there were many aspects of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian charged with trying to blow up the plane, that could have raised red flags. He had no checked luggage, and he paid for his ticket with cash. Mr. Abdulmutallab’s name had already surfaced on the National Counterterrorism Center’s database of known or suspected international terrorists, but that information was never made it to US airlines.

“Eight years after the 9/11 attacks, this is someone who makes it on one list only to disappear into a bureaucratic black hole,” says Bruce Hoffman, a professor at the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University in Washington. "Eight years after the 9/11 attacks, it’s a compound failure in intelligence and physical security. Once again, valiant and alert passengers are the last line of defense.”

The incident, which ended when passengers tackled the suspect and put out the flames of his failed bomb, is refocusing attention on Capitol Hill. The question is whether the post-9/11 reforms, including the creation of a Department of Homeland Security and Director of National Intelligence, are working as Congress intended.

Government Incapable of Protecting Us

This is the second time in less than 2 months the government failed to protect our fellow citizens when they had been warned. There is a pattern here. As in Fort Hood, there was ample evidence to suggest that the individual trying to bomb that Delta jet on Christmas day had Jihadist tendencies. Not only did they fail but, like the administration, are claiming that somehow they had thwarted a terrorist attack. The media has failed to connect the dots. But you and I should not ignore the awful truth that not this White House but the Congress are clueless in fighting terrorism. It is why we need an agency set up specifically to fight terrorism. The alternative is making a passengers have a cavity check at the airport.
in reference to:

"The botched attack on an Amsterdam-Detroit flight is expected to have a limited impact on global air traffic, but the need for tighter security measures caps an already difficult year for the airline industry. Air travelers were facing stringent new security restrictions following the failed bombing of the US-bound aircraft last Friday that was claimed Monday by Al-Qaeda in a statement picked up by US monitors.... "Traffic is only affected by tragedies or war," Richard Aboulafia, an analyst with Teal Group Corp., told AFP. "Smaller incidents like these seldom have an impact, although a security overreaction could lead to even greater dissatisfaction among travelers, which helps weaken long-term traffic growth," he said. Oliver Fainsilber, a consultant with Oliver Wyman, agreed. He said the incident alone "will not have a lasting impact on traffic" unless "if two or three similar cases occurred in the weeks to come which refutes the idea of an isolated act.""
- Limited impact seen on air traffic after bombing bid (view on Google Sidewiki)

Meet The Press Video: Mayor Bloomberg, Newt Gingrich, Gov.Deval Patrick

"Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Newt Gingrich, Gov. Deval Patrick and Andrea Mitchell join NBC's David Gregory, moderator of "Meet the Press," to discuss the future of the nation as it enters a new decade." Video below (12-27-09):

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We Need a New Government Agency to Prevent Terrorism

Once again we have failure to prevent an a terror attack. This time we were lucky. Obviously the CIA and FBI are inadequate or incapable of fighting terrorism. We need a spy/investigative government agency that deals exclusively with terrorism, domestic and foreign. 9-11 happened exactly because neither the FBI or CIA communicated with each other. Neither department was set up specifically to process, investigate or pursue terrorists. The CIA was defanged in the 70s and are not allowed to track terrorists domestically. This leaves and gaping hole. So lets scrap Homeland Security and create a department that actually does something to protect us. Obviously, no amount of airport security will stop the terrorists:

The alleged Christmas Day terrorist had been in one of the U.S. government's many terror databases since November, which is when his father brought him to the attention of embassy officials in Nigeria.

However, 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 it 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-Qaida - was able to carry a concealed explosive device onto a U.S.-bound airplane.

...Four weeks ago, Abdulmutallab's father told the U.S. embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, that he was concerned about his son's religious beliefs. This information was passed on to U.S. intelligence officials.

Abdulmutallab received a valid U.S. visa in June 2008 that is good through 2010.

His is one of about 550,000 names in the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment database, known as TIDE, which is maintained by the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center and was created in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Intelligence officials said they lacked enough information to place him in the 400,000-person terror watch list or on the no-fly list of fewer than 4,000 people who should be blocked from air travel.

Video: al Qaeda Terror Attack on board Delta Plane Thwarted

AP report (CBS news video below):

A passenger attempted to detonate a small explosive aboard a Delta-Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Friday in what the U.S. government considers a failed terrorist attack, according to U.S. media reports.

The reports said the passenger, who was taken into custody, was identified as a Nigerian national and that the explosive device failed.

The Associated Press, quoting U.S. officials, said the passenger was acting on behalf of al-Qaida when he tried to blow up the flight.

The Northwest Airlines plane, an Airbus 330, was carrying 278 passengers. Delta Air Lines has taken over Northwest.

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Video: David Goldman Interview on board Plane Returning Home

This NBC news video interview of David Goldman is on board plane returning home after the return of his son, Sean. It took 5 long years for his son to be returned to him by the Brazilian Supreme Court.

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Video: Michael Brewer is Returning Home Early from Hospital

This Today Show video is on the Florida burn victim teenager, Michael Brewer's, return home from the hospital.

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