Once again, Secretary Janet Napolitano's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is under scrutiny in the wake of the failed terrorist bombing attempt on Northwest Airlines flight 253. Apparently, DHS had plenty of opportunities to prevent this attack and chose instead to do nothing.
Are they really this inept?
Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, the father of Nigerian terrorist suspect Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, was concerned enough about his son's leanings to alert U.S. Embassy and Nigerian security officials six months ago. The father, a prominent former bank officer in Nigeria, claimed his son had adopted troubling beliefs and made connections with suspected terrorists in Yemen. Following his son's arrest, he expressed bewilderment as to why the U.S. would allow his son to travel here after being warned.
Abdul Mutallab was added to the Office of National Intelligence, US Counterterrorism Center's Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE) list just last month. According to the Washington Post, individual agencies use TIDE information at their discretion to decide whether or not to include named individuals on their own watch lists. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) maintains two lists, "no-fly," that prohibits a person on the list from boarding a domestic or U.S. bound airline, and "selectee," where the person boarding will receive extra scrutiny. For some reason Abdulmutallab was on neither list.
One would think that with the Hasan Fort Hood shootings still ringing in our collective ears, the obvious terrorist "dry runs" on Air Tran flight 297 and United Airlines flight 227, TSA might have thought to take this man's own father's statements a little more seriously, if they even looked. But Abdul Mutallab apparently got past the State Department's Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) too.
Meanwhile, on CNN's "State of the Union" program today, Janet Napolitano was quoted as saying that "the system worked," adding that there was no evidence this was part of a larger plot. Apparently no one bothered to tell her that passengers and crew saved the day on flight 253, despite TSA's gross ineptitude, or that Abdul Mutallab admitted to officials yesterday that he had received bomb making materials from an al Qaeda bomb expert.
Now that TSA has been sufficiently forwarned however, all the rest of us will be forced to endure more mindless sceening excercises. Because of shoe bomber Richard Reid we all have to take off our shoes. Does this mean that since Abdul Mutallab sewed components for the explosive PETN into his underwear, we will all have to toss our briefs into the screening bins? Maybe we should just wear them on our heads or hang it all and show up to the airport naked.
Janet Napolitano fretted about an "anti-Muslim backlash" in the wake of the Fort Hood massacre, and pooh-poohs any concerns about this most recent attempt on flight 253, while Obama's Army Chief of Staff, General George Casey claimed "diversity" to be more important than the Fort Hood deaths.
Such astonishing concern for our Muslim brethren does not extend to the American people, however. It is reported that President Obama recently signed an executive order taking the unprecedented step of exempting the international police force INTERPOL from American law. Some claim this subjects U.S. citizens to the possibility of arrest without recourse to Constitutional civil protections, yet this same administration is willing to extend those protections to the terrorist accused of the most deadly attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor.
Comments
Janet Napolitano and the Dept of Homeland IN-Security is one of the largest misscarriages of justice in this country right now. They have no intention of protecting any one, except the Muslims, even going so far as to suppress American citizens and try to take our guns
This dog won't hunt anymore.
Thanks Jim
This is what you get when you continue to appoint/elect inexperienced people ALL ACROSS THE BOARD, starting with the top position. Nepotism and friends rarely work out!
If we're not already, we're soon to be the laughing stock of the rest of the world. Anyone who wants to do harm here merely needs to go ahead with their plan and the take their chances. I guess it's now going to be up to the citizens of this country to do the work of the DHS. Today I saw Napolitano interviewd and she seemed to be "pleased" that the system "worked". During those interviews she said "we don't know" or "I don't know" about a half dozen times. Here's another fine example of Obama's choice selection for a department head. And it makes me wonder exactly what Jim said... are they this inept or is this willful ignorance? I tend to say it's the later. So sad for US!
willful ignorance!
Sunday, DHS Sec Napolitano, "One thing I'd like to point out is that the system worked."
Monday, DHS Sec Napolitano, "Our system did not work in this instance."
This administration is INCOMPETENT in every aspect!
Janet Napolitano is a criminal herself- she has criminals working for her...NOTHING she says is the truth ever.
How many people will have to die before we get fed up enough with this worthless lying administration? Hasn't anyone figured it out yet that this administration doesn't care one bit about the safety of this country's citizens and only cares about enriching themselves and building their own little fiefdoms. And stinking closet muslim Osama bama wants to lick Muslim butt so they will like us. What a bunch of B.S.! It's time to take our country back from the Marxist misfits either by votes or force should it become necessary! Let's thank all the incompetent morons that voted for this idiot and now we all have to suffer the consequences of their collective stupidity!
A big part of our problem is the fact that we must always be politically correct!!!! There is no room for this today -- these people are so lucky to be alive today, but not because of our government and its so-called security! God was looking out for us in this one!
Johnny5 - I'm with you and I know lots of others are too. I've joined a tea party group, but it doesn't seem like letters, phone calls, faxes, protests... none of it seems to make any difference (like with health care fisco). I was in DC on 9/12 and what good did it do except to make ME/US feel better. I'm mad as hell right along with you!! What is happening is beyond comprehension.
Great point Jim, the terrorists will get our Constitutional rights while this EO gives Interpol unlimited freedom to take away our Constitutional rights. The irony would be hysterical if it wasn't so frightening.
And why is it that the Left is more concerned with the profiling of some people, yet they are not concerned with the lack of rights and freedoms that are being taken away from all the normal citizens with their having to undress, be inconvenienced with not have their necessities with them on the flight, waste time showing and going through all their belongings, having full body scans and being patted down, and now, you have to stay in your seat? What the hell? Thanks to the stupidity of the Left and their moronic political correctness garbage, the terrorists have already won. The Left and PC is ass backwards.
First that napolitano quote continues to be taken way out of context. Look at the original quote. She explicitly said that only in the aftermath of the failed attack "the system worked". Second if you want a clue as to why tea procedures are all over the place and changes haven't been implemented look no further than republican senator jim demint who has been holding up obamas appointment for tsa chief andkey staff for months
Scott! She is incompetent! Napolitano MUST BE FIRED!
Context my ASS!
Oh and Scott, Obama JUST nominated him, 9 months afer his inauguration! Blame the Repubs is getting REAL old and lame.
Blaming the Repubs is nothing less than your inability to see wrong with the Obama administration and his tragic group of thugs.
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