President Obama on Tuesday cited a “mix of human and systemic failures” in allowing Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to fly into the United States, where he allegedly attempted to detonate an explosive device aboard an airliner above Detroit.
“Bits of information available within the intelligence community … could have and should have been pieced together” about Abdulmutallab, Obama said. “Had this critical information been shared … the suspect would never have been allowed to board that plane for America.”
“It’s becoming clear that the system that’s been in place for years now is not sufficiently up to date to take full advantage of the information we collect and the knowledge we have,” Obama said.
“We need to learn from this episode and act quickly to fix the flaws in our system because our security is at stake and lives are at stake,” he said.
The president also ordered a preliminary review of airline security measures to be delivered to him by Thursday.
(Source: Washington Post / Fox News)
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17 Responses
What an idiot! The information could not have been more out there. His own father reports him, he buys a one way ticket and pays IN CASH, with no luggae and no PASSPORT! And all Obama could say is “It’s becoming clear that the system that’s been in place for years now is not sufficiently up to date to take full advantage of the information we collect and the knowledge we have,” What system do you need after having this info to stop him from getting on a plane? Even the Chelm security force would have stopped him.
The trick is for the Democrats to exploit this in a tasteful way (and hope he doesn’t learn from his mistakes).
The truth is that this system that is in place only started to screw up when obama took office. Maybe b/c he wants to possibly put cia opperatives on trial for helping to keep America safe. Maybe they are now to afraid to interrorgate or divulge such impt info. While Bush was president after 9/11 there was no terrorist attack or close call on American soil.
what a tipish!!!
“Allegedly,” he says!?? I think there were over 200 witnesses to his alleged act. The fact that this guy is going thru federal court like a common criminal, as opposed to a military tribunal is sickening. He already has a laywer and is taking full advantage of OUR judicial system – the system this jerk tried to destroy.
For the president to treat him like an alleged crook who should have been water boarded instantly.
allegedly attempted!!!??
“the system that’s been in place for years now is not sufficiently up to date” it was the Democrats that shut down the system that Bush had.
#1 – Very well said – especially the part about the Chelm security.
What a pathetic president we have!!
Oh dear, if he turns around and stops harassing the civil servants for doing their job (e.g. the threat to prosecute for actions authorized by the Bush administration as part of its successful anti-terrorism program), then he might get reelected. A president who learns from mistakes would be horribly unprecedented, and might lead to him getting reelected.
P.S. using the word “alleged” is correct – he hasn’t been convicted and their could be a perfectly innocent explanation (perhaps he was being controlled by extraterrestials?). In America (unlike places such as Iran or China), you are innocent until proven guilty by a court. Until the jury says he’s guilty, it’s merely alleged. If you don’t like the system, go to Tehran (you’ll love it there – guilty even if proven innocent).
First, I dislike defending Obama.
However, I have to say in his defense that apparently mistakes were made at the operational level, not policy. The systemic problems predate Obama by years. Some of it is complacency but the rest is old-fashioned bureaucratic turf-wars. The fact that the CIA didn’t share information is old news (go back to the creation of DHS and the fact that the CIA fought against ANY integration). The system at Guantanamo is not the same as the intel sharing and Transportation Security.
As for “allegedly,” that is a legal thing: until found guilty in a court of law, the criminality is only alleged.
Regrettably, this is all part of the same mindset that allowed the Ft. Hood dr. to continue to practice.
The people at the top must admit that there is such a thing as absolute evil, and Islamic terrorism.
to #1, he didnt have a passport? That is hard to believe, there are so many times you need to show your passport before getting onto a plane.
akuperma, our Idiot in Chief loves Tehran. He wants to reach out and negotiate with Iran without preconditions.
The truth to tell, I believe that our Idiot in Chief wants an excuse to get rid of Hillary Clinton. He is trying to maneuver so that he can get rid of her. Our Idiot in Chief perceives her as threat to his 2012 candidacy. So, get rid of her.
Doesn’t he care about anything else besides his political ambitions?
Napolitano must resign
It has been a year since ManChild is in office and he could have changed anything he wanted (remember that hopey changy thing?). For him to continue blaming the “past” shows his character which is all part of why we didnt want him as out president and why he WONT be president after Jan 2013.
He not only had a passport, but a multiple-entry visa to the USA granted to him in 2008–when GEORGE BUSH was President. He was already interested in Islamic radical ideas at that point, right? Shouldn’t he have been detected at that point?
Secondly, why blame President Obama exclusively? The Republicans in Congress have been blocking his nominee for head of the TSA BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID HE MIGHT BE PRO-UNION!! Isn’t THAT being lax on security? Maybe people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones? Maybe people who play politics with security–like the Republicans–shouldn’t talk so much?
rmorr, isn’t it the other way around? I just read an interesting article in today’s Wall Street Journal about the desire for this nominee to have TSA screeners to be unionized. Who is playing politics here?
I say let’s expand the private sector so that everyone will leave the public sector and empty the unions. Then you won’t be able to receive anymore dues to support your lifestyle. Does that bother you?
rmorr,
Why are you blaming Republicans? Why not blame Democrats? Why does my side always have to cave in but your side never does?
Well too bad, we are no longer caving! And if they do, they will be tossed at the next election. This is far too important than to cave to the liberal left.