Incident throws off Obama administration's agenda
December 29, 2009
BY LYNN SWEET Sun-Times Washington Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration was on the defensive Monday over how a Nigerian man who tried to destroy Detroit-bound Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day held a valid U.S. visa, was allowed to board the plane in Amsterdam even though he was on a terrorist watch list, and was able to bring an explosive substance undetected on the aircraft.
Already, three committees in Congress announced hearings on the incident in January; the House and Senate Homeland Security committees and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. It’s not the posture the Obama White House wanted to be with Congress as Obama nears his first anniversary in office on Jan. 22 and with final negotiations over his signature health-care bill set for next month.
RELATED STORIESObama: Absolutely critical we learn from terror plot In-flight restrictions on electronics, leaving seat eased Napolitano backtracks, concedes system failed in terror attack Nigerian plane bomber bought tickets in Ghana
On Monday, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and ranking member Susan Collins (R-Maine) say their hearing will ‘‘examine the layers of security meant to protect airline passengers from terrorist attacks but which accused terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab successfully evaded.’’
Obama himself addressed the incident for the first time, breaking from his Hawaii vacation to appear tieless before cameras to read a statement. He noted that Abdulmutallab was in a U.S. database of suspected terrorists, but not on the smaller no-fly list.
“I’ve ordered a thorough review not only of how information related to the subject was handled, but of the overall watch list system and how it can be strengthened,” Obama said. Obama also said he ordered an examination of “all screening policies, technologies and procedures related to air travel.”
He also directed his national security team “to keep up the pressure on those who would attack our country. . . . We will continue to use every element of our national power to disrupt, to dismantle, and defeat the violent extremists who threaten us — whether they are from Afghanistan or Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia, or anywhere where they are plotting attacks against the U.S. homeland.”
The incident has thrown Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano in the spotlight; she was on six morning shows Monday and three on Sunday. But she got in a bit of a jam on the Sunday shows when she said ‘‘one thing I’d like to point out is that the system worked,” meaning no one was hurt seriously because the suspect was subdued by passengers and crew on the flight. But I bet most people start looking at the system failing — not working — when Abdulmutallab was allowed on a plane with explosive material hidden in his pants.
She was asked about it on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and explained she was starting the clock on the system working once the crew notified authorities of the thwarted attempt to ignite an incendiary device — that is, after the incident occurred.
On NBC’s “Today” show Napolitano was pressed to concede the system “failed miserably.”
Said Napolitano, “It did.”
bleugryphon wrote:
This doesn't bode well. POTUS has basically told the terrorists that they aren't that important in his world. He obviously thinks that the last eight years was just an exercise in world intimidation by the evil George Bush. He is trying to close GITMO and bring all the detainees captured in battle to Illinois.
He wants to then convey Constitutional Rights to enemy combatives and tie up our judicial system even further. The enemy has been laughing, is laughing and will continue to laugh at this Administration and it's feeble attempts to defend this country.
There have been about twelve attempts already and the MSM has downplayed it as much as possible. Until POTUS and his puppets in the MSM start telling the truth will we be able to get back on track again. We can try to stop as many attempts as possible but they only need to succeed once to be effective. We've been extremely lucky so far and by the Grace of God, we haven't suffered a catastrophe yet.
The current system is broken. Janet Napolitano was telling the MSM that the system was working correctly this weekend. It obviously wasn't so, she changed her story on Monday. It is based on political factors rather then real ones. It cannot continue this way and should be changed to policy issues that need to be corrected. There is still time, I hope that the government can react quickly.
12/29/2009 11:09 AM CST
December 29, 2009
BY LYNN SWEET Sun-Times Washington Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration was on the defensive Monday over how a Nigerian man who tried to destroy Detroit-bound Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day held a valid U.S. visa, was allowed to board the plane in Amsterdam even though he was on a terrorist watch list, and was able to bring an explosive substance undetected on the aircraft.
Already, three committees in Congress announced hearings on the incident in January; the House and Senate Homeland Security committees and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. It’s not the posture the Obama White House wanted to be with Congress as Obama nears his first anniversary in office on Jan. 22 and with final negotiations over his signature health-care bill set for next month.
RELATED STORIESObama: Absolutely critical we learn from terror plot In-flight restrictions on electronics, leaving seat eased Napolitano backtracks, concedes system failed in terror attack Nigerian plane bomber bought tickets in Ghana
On Monday, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and ranking member Susan Collins (R-Maine) say their hearing will ‘‘examine the layers of security meant to protect airline passengers from terrorist attacks but which accused terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab successfully evaded.’’
Obama himself addressed the incident for the first time, breaking from his Hawaii vacation to appear tieless before cameras to read a statement. He noted that Abdulmutallab was in a U.S. database of suspected terrorists, but not on the smaller no-fly list.
“I’ve ordered a thorough review not only of how information related to the subject was handled, but of the overall watch list system and how it can be strengthened,” Obama said. Obama also said he ordered an examination of “all screening policies, technologies and procedures related to air travel.”
He also directed his national security team “to keep up the pressure on those who would attack our country. . . . We will continue to use every element of our national power to disrupt, to dismantle, and defeat the violent extremists who threaten us — whether they are from Afghanistan or Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia, or anywhere where they are plotting attacks against the U.S. homeland.”
The incident has thrown Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano in the spotlight; she was on six morning shows Monday and three on Sunday. But she got in a bit of a jam on the Sunday shows when she said ‘‘one thing I’d like to point out is that the system worked,” meaning no one was hurt seriously because the suspect was subdued by passengers and crew on the flight. But I bet most people start looking at the system failing — not working — when Abdulmutallab was allowed on a plane with explosive material hidden in his pants.
She was asked about it on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and explained she was starting the clock on the system working once the crew notified authorities of the thwarted attempt to ignite an incendiary device — that is, after the incident occurred.
On NBC’s “Today” show Napolitano was pressed to concede the system “failed miserably.”
Said Napolitano, “It did.”
bleugryphon wrote:
This doesn't bode well. POTUS has basically told the terrorists that they aren't that important in his world. He obviously thinks that the last eight years was just an exercise in world intimidation by the evil George Bush. He is trying to close GITMO and bring all the detainees captured in battle to Illinois.
He wants to then convey Constitutional Rights to enemy combatives and tie up our judicial system even further. The enemy has been laughing, is laughing and will continue to laugh at this Administration and it's feeble attempts to defend this country.
There have been about twelve attempts already and the MSM has downplayed it as much as possible. Until POTUS and his puppets in the MSM start telling the truth will we be able to get back on track again. We can try to stop as many attempts as possible but they only need to succeed once to be effective. We've been extremely lucky so far and by the Grace of God, we haven't suffered a catastrophe yet.
The current system is broken. Janet Napolitano was telling the MSM that the system was working correctly this weekend. It obviously wasn't so, she changed her story on Monday. It is based on political factors rather then real ones. It cannot continue this way and should be changed to policy issues that need to be corrected. There is still time, I hope that the government can react quickly.
12/29/2009 11:09 AM CST
I have to mention that the purpose of this article, by Lynn Sweet, is to once again have the MSM try to downplay another Terrorist attack. We were fortunate that it failed. Napolitano showed the country that she is not qualified for the job and POTUS was forced to cut into his vacation time and perform a feeble song and dance about how he has things under control.
No comments:
Post a Comment