We Were Lucky....... This Time
The failed terrorist attack on the Northwest Flight 253 over Detroit has proven one thing. That in spite of billions spent on a big government bureaucracies like Homeland security, high tech baggage screening equipment and a change agent in the White House, sheer luck prevent us from having another 911. 23 year old Nigerian radical Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, attempted to detonate an explosive device hidden in his underwear-which failed. He was subdued by the passengers and crew. Abdulmutallab-who was traveling from Amsterdam-had spent time in Yemen apparently getting instruction by Al qaeda. This and other red flags were numerous. Abdulmutallab's own father had gone to US authorities to report that his son had been "radicalized". His name was also known to US intelligence and in spite of all this was given a US visa and allowed to board a plane to the US. Technology and bigger government bureaucracies are no substitutes for common sense.