Renewed assault against the US

The recent events have brought some questions. The shooting at Ft. Hood http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33678801/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/, the failed Christmas Day  attack http://cargogsanetwork.com/airplane-bomb-attack-on-northwest-flight-253-amsterdam-detroit, the disruptive passenger on the same flight a day later.

At least two (Ft.Hood and the Christmas flight) have ties to the Yemen operative base of Al Qaeda. Both are tied to a former US Islamic preacher Anwar al-Awlaki. It seems as if Yemen is the new Afghanistan as far as extremist assaults on the US. They started with the USS Cole http://www.al-bab.com/yemen/cole1.htm.

President Obama said in response (not leaving his holiday compound) that the attempt was a reminder of the war of terror. He also implemented new security procedures for air travel http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Politics/al-qaeda-responsible-terror-plot-president-obama-criticism/story?id=9439744.

But a search has shown that the attempted attack was carried out by a man that was banned from England. He was on the watch list but not the no fly list. The attack came a few days after his own father, a banker http://www.france24.com/en/20091227-umar-farouk-abdulmutallab-father-had-warned-us-authorities-nigeria?autoplay= had warned the US about his son's extremist views.

The President's reaction and the refusal to end his holiday trip, makes many question his ability to respond to attacks. Two of the governments organizations toward terrorist attacks, apparently have no head of their respective departments. Some have questioned his ability to deal, because of the Gitmo residents and their facing of justice. And the attempted bomber was placed in civil custody instead of being acted upon as were those in Gitmo.

Some also wonder, with good reason, if these episodes are nothing more than a precursor to larger scale attacks. Could it be, that those which seek to destroy the nation, are using these attacks as diversions? Americans have become complacent in vigilance. Almost with the same attitudes of the pre 9/11/01 attacks. Is it possible, that those who seek to do us harm are drawing our resources and watches away from other areas of interest, so that  a large scale attack can be made elsewhere?

With the government's silence, the President's view of political correctness, and the complacency of the American public, one would be wise to view these extremist episodes as the beginnings of something bigger.