Obama: 'Intelligence community' blew air bomber tip

[danarhea]

Citing an ongoing investigation, President Obama laid the blame for the attempted Detroit bombing on human error within the intelligence community.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Tuesday blamed "systemic failure" in the nation's national security and anti-terror system for allowing a Nigerian man to board a Detroit-bound airliner with explosives, even after his father had warned the government of his extremist views.



Obama said that based on preliminary information, "It now appears that weeks ago this information was passed to a component of our intelligence community but was not effectively distributed so as to get the suspect's name on a no-fly list."


Intelligence officials defended their actions, saying that the information they'd received from his father at the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria was shared throughout the U.S. intelligence community and that officials agreed there was not enough information to place Umar Farouk Abdulmatallab on a no-fly list.

So what we have is clear intelligence that the bomber was working with extremist groups who were dedicated to terrorism, yet when intel from the bomber's own father reached US intelligence agents, it was withheld, not on purpose, but because they decided that what they received was not proof that he was about to attempt a bombing. Hence, he was not put on the do not fly list, and the rest is history.

At this point, I would like to make a few points of my own:

1) This does not reflect on Obama's job performance anymore than the 911 attacks, in the face of evidence that al Qaeda was dedicated to launching airline attacks at New York, reflects on Bush. Both can be attributed to human error within the intelligence community. Bush and Obama have something else in common too. After 911, Bush launched an investigation into US security structure, and as a result, of that investigation, changes were made. Obama is running the exact same play book. I also strongly believe that security will be tweaked again in the future, as "other" bugs in the intel system will also be uncovered by attacks or attempted attacks. The security game will always be ongoing, no matter who is in power.

2) Shame on Dick Cheney and others for attempting to politicize this issue.

3) But shame is not limited to political scumbags on the Republican side. A few Democrats are attempting to get political mileage by accusing Republicans in the intelligence community of purposely withholding the intel in order to make Obama look bad by allowing scores of innocent men, women, and children to be blown to bits. This is unconscienable BS. My wife, who is a dyed in the wool Liberal, saw someone on Keith Olberman make this claim, and she told me she wanted to puke. She is really pissed, not at Republicans, but at any Democrat who could be such a scumbag as to politicize this issue in such a monstrous way.

4) To both Republicans and Democrats who are attempting to gain political points by such unscrupulous methods - Please, please, just go die in a fire. You are poison to America. Leave. Dead or alive, I don't care how you choose to go. Just get your sick and twisted asses the hell out of my country, and join al Qaeda, who appreciate terrorism. And make no mistake about it - Terrorism can can be done with a pen or a word, just as it can be with a sword, or a bomb, for that matter. If your sick and disgusting rhetoric is able to shut down our government, even just a little, then you have accomplished the same ends that suicide bombers constantly seek. Get the **** out of here, and go align with your real allies. You are not Americans.

In the end, this looks like a breakdown in the intelligence community. Let's work towards fixing the problem, and leave the cheap and twisted political rhetoric where it belongs, in places nonexistent.

Article is here.

 

[American]

Citing an ongoing investigation, President Obama laid the blame for the attempted Detroit bombing on human error within the intelligence community.




So what we have is clear intelligence that the bomber was working with extremist groups who were dedicated to terrorism, yet when intel from the bomber's own father reached US intelligence agents, it was withheld, not on purpose, but because they decided that what they received was not proof that he was about to attempt a bombing. Hence, he was not put on the do not fly list, and the rest is history.

At this point, I would like to make a few points of my own:

1) This does not reflect on Obama's job performance anymore than the 911 attacks, in the face of evidence that al Qaeda was dedicated to launching airline attacks at New York, reflects on Bush. Both can be attributed to human error within the intelligence community. Bush and Obama have something else in common too. After 911, Bush launched an investigation into US security structure, and as a result, of that investigation, changes were made. Obama is running the exact same play book. I also strongly believe that security will be tweaked again in the future, as "other" bugs in the intel system will also be uncovered by attacks or attempted attacks.

2) Shame on Dick Cheney and others for attempting to politicize this issue.

3) But shame is not limited to political scumbags on the Republican side. A few Democrats are attempting to get political mileage by accusing Republicans in the intelligence community of purposely withholding the intel in order to make Obama look bad by allowing scores of innocent men, women, and children to be blown to bits. This is unconscienable BS. My wife, who is a dyed in the wool Liberal, saw someone on Keither Olberman make this claim, and she told me she wanted to puke. She is really pissed, not at Republicans, but at any Democrat who could be such a scumbag as to politicize this issue in such a monstrous way.

4) To both Republicans and Democrats who are attempting to gain political points by such unscrupulous methods - Please, please, just go die in a fire. You are poison to America. Leave. Dead or alive, I don't care how you care to go. Just get your sick and twisted asses the hell out of my country, and join al Qaeda, who appreciate terrorism. And make no mistake about it - Terrorism can can be done with a pen, just as it can be with a sword, or a bomb, for that matter. If your sick and disgusting rhetoric is able to shut down our government, even just a little, then you have accomplished the same ends that suicide bombers have as their goal. Get the **** out of here, and go align with your real allies. You are not Americans.

In the end, this looks like a breakdown in the intelligence community. Let's work towards fixing the problem, and leave the cheap and twisted political rhetoric where it belongs, in places nonexistent.

Article is here.

Too bad you weren't that ****ing fair when Bush was in office. :roll:

 

[danarhea]

Too bad you weren't that ****ing fair when Bush was in office. :roll:

3) But shame is not limited to political scumbags on the Republican side. A few Democrats are attempting to get political mileage by accusing Republicans in the intelligence community of purposely withholding the intel in order to make Obama look bad by allowing scores of innocent men, women, and children to be blown to bits. This is unconscienable BS. My wife, who is a dyed in the wool Liberal, saw someone on Keither Olberman make this claim, and she told me she wanted to puke. She is really pissed, not at Republicans, but at any Democrat who could be such a scumbag as to politicize this issue in such a monstrous way.

Reading is fundamental, Mr. Troll.

 

[Orion]

I don't really get what this had to do with Obama or his administration. Most of the security checks were put into place before any of them came into office. The problem really was human error as I said in many threads before this one. Clear intelligence information was either ignored or not relayed to the key people that could have stopped the Nigerian from carrying out his plan.

The problem isn't the security system, it's the humans who aren't doing it properly.

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

Too bad you weren't that ****ing fair when Bush was in office. :roll:

Moderator's Warning:

Too bad you are now thread banned for trolling this thread.

 

[The Prof]

no

obama called mutallab an "isolated extremist"

he took the same too early tack he took with hasan, and for the same reason

the admin failed to follow up on al awlaki, even after his contacts with the hood hitman were known

nancy drew woulda followed up THAT lead

had intel gone there, they'd have found the warnings awlaki was warbling about a nigerian underwear bomber on christmas

can you imagine what the previous admin would have done with major hasan's computer?

obama still insists on returning yemenis from gitmo

obama, for no cogent reason, yanked mutallab away from his military handlers and lawyered him up for civil court

this is the precise instant the kid from nigeria quit talking

when brennan was pressed for an upside to trying mutallab in criminal court on cnn's state of the union, he mumbled something about mutallab's need to cooperate with prosecutors in order to win legal concessions

no, this is a political disaster for the white house

and, like all the others, it's the admin's own doing

 

[PeteEU]

Citing an ongoing investigation, President Obama laid the blame for the attempted Detroit bombing on human error within the intelligence community.

So what we have is clear intelligence that the bomber was working with extremist groups who were dedicated to terrorism, yet when intel from the bomber's own father reached US intelligence agents, it was withheld, not on purpose, but because they decided that what they received was not proof that he was about to attempt a bombing. Hence, he was not put on the do not fly list, and the rest is history.

At this point, I would like to make a few points of my own:

1) This does not reflect on Obama's job performance anymore than the 911 attacks, in the face of evidence that al Qaeda was dedicated to launching airline attacks at New York, reflects on Bush. Both can be attributed to human error within the intelligence community. Bush and Obama have something else in common too. After 911, Bush launched an investigation into US security structure, and as a result, of that investigation, changes were made. Obama is running the exact same play book. I also strongly believe that security will be tweaked again in the future, as "other" bugs in the intel system will also be uncovered by attacks or attempted attacks. The security game will always be ongoing, no matter who is in power.

2) Shame on Dick Cheney and others for attempting to politicize this issue.

3) But shame is not limited to political scumbags on the Republican side. A few Democrats are attempting to get political mileage by accusing Republicans in the intelligence community of purposely withholding the intel in order to make Obama look bad by allowing scores of innocent men, women, and children to be blown to bits. This is unconscienable BS. My wife, who is a dyed in the wool Liberal, saw someone on Keith Olberman make this claim, and she told me she wanted to puke. She is really pissed, not at Republicans, but at any Democrat who could be such a scumbag as to politicize this issue in such a monstrous way.

4) To both Republicans and Democrats who are attempting to gain political points by such unscrupulous methods - Please, please, just go die in a fire. You are poison to America. Leave. Dead or alive, I don't care how you choose to go. Just get your sick and twisted asses the hell out of my country, and join al Qaeda, who appreciate terrorism. And make no mistake about it - Terrorism can can be done with a pen or a word, just as it can be with a sword, or a bomb, for that matter. If your sick and disgusting rhetoric is able to shut down our government, even just a little, then you have accomplished the same ends that suicide bombers constantly seek. Get the **** out of here, and go align with your real allies. You are not Americans.

In the end, this looks like a breakdown in the intelligence community. Let's work towards fixing the problem, and leave the cheap and twisted political rhetoric where it belongs, in places nonexistent.

Article is here.

Agree fully. This like 9/11 was a total breakdown in the intelligence community.

However one has to wonder if the problem is how the intelligence community is organised and/or the traditionalist intra agency rivalries that go back many decades. I mean if you look at the amount of intelligence agencies the US has, then one has to wonder how much overlap there is and wasted money and resources that is going on. If I was Obama I would seriously consider merging some intelligence agencies if they dont start to talk to each other. Heads should have rolled back after 9/11 and heads should roll now... it is time to think outside the box.

 

[Catz Part Deux]

In the end, this looks like a breakdown in the intelligence community. Let's work towards fixing the problem, and leave the cheap and twisted political rhetoric where it belongs, in places nonexistent.

Article is here.

I also think that some blame needs to be laid on DHS for failing to implement effective precautions for pre-flight screening.

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

Intelligence officials defended their actions, saying that the information they'd received from his father at the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria was shared throughout the U.S. intelligence community and that officials agreed there was not enough information to place Umar Farouk Abdulmatallab on a no-fly list.

Here's an idea:

Throw away the no-fly list and assume NO ONE has the right to fly to the US, and implement a may-fly list (cute) of people who are allowed to board flights in-bound to the US.

And this list would include US citizens and visa'd foreigners, but said foreigners can be removed from the list completely arbitrarily, while US citizens could not be removed from the list without due process.

Problem solved.

 

[Orion]

Here's an idea:

Throw away the no-fly list and assume NO ONE has the right to fly to the US, and implement a may-fly list (cute) of people who are allowed to board flights in-bound to the US.

And this list would include US citizens and visa'd foreigners, but said foreigners can be removed from the list completely arbitrarily, while US citizens could not be removed from the list without due process.

Problem solved.

That would alienate tourists and business partners which are a big source of revenue from coming to the U.S.

Better yet, why not just make a visa mandatory for all travelers and require an extensive screening process? That's what China does. Assume everyone is guilty until proven innocent.

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

That would alienate tourists and business partners which are a big source of revenue from coming to the U.S.

So?

Better yet, why not just make a visa mandatory for all travelers and require an extensive screening process? That's what China does.

Because we're not China.

Assume everyone is guilty until proven innocent.

That what the TSA and Fatherland Security does already.

That's the basis for searching everyone.

 

[Orion]

So?

You see no problem in deepening the recession because of one aborted terrorist attack that could have been prevented if the intelligence community had done its job?

Reactionism or what.

Because we're not China.

Might as well be with the way you're talking.

That what the TSA and Fatherland Security does already.

That's the basis for searching everyone.

Only to a degree. The ones that are red flagged get the third degree from security, but everyone else gets a pass. If that weren't the case then passenger mobility would be severely compromised. What am I saying? It already is. No carry ons? Body scans? What a waste of time.

First we saw hijackers with guns, so we got metal detectors. Then we saw box cutters and bombs so metal detectors weren't enough. We added x-ray machines.

Then we saw liquid bombs, so we set limits for carry on liquids and increased searches. That was so effective we now see the latest evolution, the crotch bomber. So we're going to spend a fortune on those very revealing body scan machines.

What are we going to get when the crazies hide their liquid bombs in their body cavities? When the Crotch Bomber is replaced by the anus bomber, what will be the response of those clever, reactive folks in charge of our security?

Implementing the security measure after the fact is not going to do anything. The terrorists will just do something new each time.

The companies that make all this crazy security technology are rolling in the dough. Do you not find it strange how fast the body scanners were implemented after the recent aborted attack coming from Amsterdam? You can bet that contract was already in the works.

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

You see no problem in deepening the recession because of one aborted terrorist attack that could have been prevented if the intelligence community had done its job?

Reactionism or what.

Why are you assuming my position has been taken after the Panty Raid?

The problems with the US economy involve a government that's ten times too large. Tourism isn't a significant factor in what's happening in this economy.

Might as well be with the way you're talking.

You mean requiring foreigners to have permission to enter the country before they board an aircraft landing in the US?

Well, if China uses common sense like that, why shouldn't other nations imitate them?

Only to a degree. The ones that are red flagged get the third degree from security, but everyone else gets a pass. If that weren't the case then passenger mobility would be severely compromised. What am I saying? It already is. No carry ons? Body scans? What a waste of time.

So you believe that Obama is turning this nation into the real communist China, as far as domestic air travel is concerned, not the fake China you're trying to accuse me of doing.

 

[The Prof]

it's not just napolitano, gibbs too first said the system worked

remember when the white house sent geithner and summers on mtp and ftn to suggest raising taxes on the middle class, then pulled it all back THE NEXT DAY, claiming obama's 2 top econ advisers "misspoke?"

LOL!

yesterday, the white house was still insisting on repatriating yemenis currently held at gitmo

today (big surprise), 180 degree reversal

except he just released 6 in december

he ordered foreign airports in fourteen named naughty nations to institute pat downs and comprehensive suitcase screenings

half the countries so directed have basically flipped off our perplexed president

several have expressed affront, offense

what leverage does he idiotically, foolishly believe he holds over libya?

over lebanon, syria, iran...?

he can't see two moves ahead what's obviously gonna happen if he demands assad's compliance?

can't he see the opportunity provided the like to totally dis him, humiliate him?

in public?

why does he repeatedly put himself in such supine positions?

he's blamed our intel for blowing it

how, by failing to halt an "isolated extremist?"

but suddenly today he praises the fbi for prying "actionable intelligence" from mutallab

apparently, that was just before ag holder hustled the jihadist into criminal court, lawyering him up, silencing him, and trying to bribe "actionable intel" out of the punk with promises of a plea

today, obama's talking "war," but yesterday it was "crime"

why this huge hurry to haul the hitman away from his military handlers?

is it a matter of national security?

or is it obama's odd AGENDA?

either way, we likely won't be getting any more actionable intel from the jihadist

why can't the president pronounce the word, "jihad?"

he wants the yemeni govt to take action, us supported, against aq in the peninsula

but saleh knows that any actions he takes against the terrorists in his mountains means political suicide for the hard-pressed president of yemen

so his people have "downplayed the partnership"

"the threat posed by aq has been exaggerated," and "yemen is not a haven for militants," they say

so obama closes the embassy

he'll never close gitmo per his jan 22 deadline, and he doesn't seem to comprehend the political and military connections between all these events

keep in mind, the guys still at gitmo are the most hardened of haters, deemed the highest security risks from the start

the president has put himself in a position where policy success for him depends on the right action and efficacy of zardari in pakistan and saleh in yemen

i personally have never seen such incompetence

the prez is all over the place, he's changing everyday and contradicting himself

how are his subordinates to know exactly what he wants and expects them to do?

washingtonpost.com

Freed Guantánamo inmates are heading for Yemen to join al-Qaeda fight - Times Online

 

[Arch Enemy]

Dan,

Let's not forget that the Obamer administration is politicizing this, as well. They will bring forth an expose (maybe commission it like what was done with the 9/11) and will offer Federal solutions to the break down of intelligence.

The vice grip is getting tighter.

 

[EnigmaO01]

Agree fully. This like 9/11 was a total breakdown in the intelligence community.

I mean if you look at the amount of intelligence agencies the US has, then one has to wonder how much overlap there is and wasted money and resources that is going on. .

Amen to that:

United States Intelligence Community
National Intelligence Council [NIC]
National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)
Central Intelligence Agency
National Security Agency
National Reconnaissance Office
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Defense Intelligence Agency
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis
Assistant to the Secretary for Intelligence Oversight Official
Defense Information Systems Agency
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Defense Protective Service
Defense Security Service
US Special Operations Command
Intelligence and Security Command
Office of Naval Intelligence
Naval Security Group Command
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Air Force Technical Applications Center
Air Intelligence Agency
National Security Council
President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Office of Intelligence
Justice Intelligence Coordinating Council
OIG - Office of the Inspector General
DEA - Drug Enforcement Administration
NDIC - National Drug Intelligence Center
USNCB - U.S. National Central Bureau
INR - Bureau of Intelligence & Research
INL - Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
CT - Counterterrorism Office
DS - Bureau of Diplomatic Security
Office of Intelligence Support
Information Security Oversight Office

I'm sorry but having this many redundant intelligence agencies is ridiculous and a God awful waste of money. And if they don't always work with each other... :roll:

 

[danarhea]

Amen to that:

United States Intelligence Community
National Intelligence Council [NIC]
National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)
Central Intelligence Agency
National Security Agency
National Reconnaissance Office
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Defense Intelligence Agency
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis
Assistant to the Secretary for Intelligence Oversight Official
Defense Information Systems Agency
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Defense Protective Service
Defense Security Service
US Special Operations Command
Intelligence and Security Command
Office of Naval Intelligence
Naval Security Group Command
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Air Force Technical Applications Center
Air Intelligence Agency
National Security Council
President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Office of Intelligence
Justice Intelligence Coordinating Council
OIG - Office of the Inspector General
DEA - Drug Enforcement Administration
NDIC - National Drug Intelligence Center
USNCB - U.S. National Central Bureau
INR - Bureau of Intelligence & Research
INL - Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
CT - Counterterrorism Office
DS - Bureau of Diplomatic Security
Office of Intelligence Support
Information Security Oversight Office

I'm sorry but having this many redundant intelligence agencies is ridiculous and a God awful waste of money. And if they don't always work with each other... :roll:

Is it just me, or does anybody else see the word "intelligence" many times in that list, but not see any intelligence? :mrgreen:

 

[Councilman]

I'm sorry boys and girls but using the word intelligence in connection in any way with Obama is exceptionally stupid. Obama has so far proven to be the worst dumb ass to ever be in the White House.

So far nothing he's done or said was good for America, and so far everyone who backs him has shown they are mental retards. Nothing this imbecilic idiot has said or done has made sense or is good for America. But retards still defends this idiot.

I challenge the retards to present one thing this anti American dumb ass has said or done that is good for America.

Health care reform? Sorry wrong it doesn't address it core issues.

Cap and Trade? Sorry the whole thing is based on the HOAX of man caused Global warming.

Obama does nothing but lie and when caught in his lies he create a bigger lie to cover for it.

When we point out Obama lies we are called racists because he's black. Get grip retards, we never refer to him as a black or as a nigger, those are your words not ours. We go after what the anti American says and does, retards tend to fill in the blanks to suit themselves.

 

[ScottD]

no

obama called mutallab an "isolated extremist"

Anyone else try attacking the US that day? He was isolated as in he was not part of a bigger plot. Stop spinning Obama's words.

he took the same too early tack he took with hasan, and for the same reason

Hasan was not a terrorist. He may have been a murderer that was motivated be Religion, but he was not a terrorist.

the admin failed to follow up on al awlaki, even after his contacts with the hood hitman were known

Link? Source?

nancy drew woulda followed up THAT lead

The lead would have had to have existed first for her to follow it, and since it didn't...

had intel gone there, they'd have found the warnings awlaki was warbling about a nigerian underwear bomber on christmas

You overestimate the ability of our intelligence agencies. They are not omnipotent.

can you imagine what the previous admin would have done with major hasan's computer?

Same thing the current one did.

obama still insists on returning yemenis from gitmo

Bush let the ones who plotted this attack go.

obama, for no cogent reason, yanked mutallab away from his military handlers and lawyered him up for civil court

The reason would be Justice, the American Ideals, Morals, etc.

this is the precise instant the kid from nigeria stopped talking

Hate to tell you, but Torture is actually the most ineffective means of gathering intel that there is.

when brennan was pressed for an upside to trying mutallab in criminal court on cnn's state of the union, he mumbled something about mutallab's need to cooperate with prosecutors in order to win legal concessions

Who the hell is Brennan?

I can name upsides. It shows the terrorists that no matter how many times they attack American ideals, we will not forfeit them in fear. It shows that we have confidence in our Justice system as a nation. It shows that we believe peers will find this man guilty, and that Justice will be served.

no, this is a political disaster for the white house

If by political disaster you mean the right thing to do, then yeah, it is.

and, like all the others, it's the admin's own doing

This Administration seems to be doing a good job then.

 

[The Prof]

Anyone else try attacking the US that day? He was isolated as in he was not part of a bigger plot. Stop spinning Obama's words.

spinning obama's words?

"isolated extremist?"

no part of a bigger plot?

LOL!

Hasan was not a terrorist. He may have been a murderer that was motivated be Religion, but he was not a terrorist.

LOL!

neither is awlaki

Link? Source?

Islamic Radicalization: Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab - Newsweek.com

The lead would have had to have existed first for her to follow it, and since it didn't...

the connections between hasan and awlaki and awlaki and mutallab...

LOL!

You overestimate the ability of our intelligence agencies. They are not omnipotent.

sure, from hasan to awlaki to mutallab

too much potency required

LOL!

Same thing the current one did.

well, based on reputations...

Bush let the ones who plotted this attack go.

no kidding

The reason would be Justice, the American Ideals, Morals, etc.

a little music here?

Hate to tell you, but Torture is actually the most ineffective means of gathering intel that there is.

torture?

LOL!

where the heck did that come from?

no one tortured mutallab that i know of

maybe YOU could provide the link

LOL!

Who the hell is Brennan?

LOLOLOL!

I can name upsides. It shows the terrorists that no matter how many times they attack American ideals, we will not forfeit them in fear. It shows that we have confidence in our Justice system as a nation. It shows that we believe peers will find this man guilty, and that Justice will be served.

ooh, that's pretty

maybe you could teach it to brennan

If by political disaster you mean the right thing to do, then yeah, it is.

then the jingle bells jihadist is HELPING obama politically

This Administration seems to be doing a good job then.

super

tell it to ritter, dodd and dorgan

 

[j-mac]

Citing an ongoing investigation, President Obama laid the blame for the attempted Detroit bombing on human error within the intelligence community.

Yes he did lay the blame off. Something I think that after his first year in office is becoming a pattern.

So what we have is clear intelligence that the bomber was working with extremist groups who were dedicated to terrorism, yet when intel from the bomber's own father reached US intelligence agents, it was withheld, not on purpose, but because they decided that what they received was not proof that he was about to attempt a bombing. Hence, he was not put on the do not fly list, and the rest is history.

Sorry, this just isn't good enough. I know that this is the excuse that the Obama supporters, and liberals within the administration are using to deflect accountability for this attempted bombing, but it just doesn't fly.

At this point, I would like to make a few points of my own:

Refreshing.

1) This does not reflect on Obama's job performance anymore than the 911 attacks, in the face of evidence that al Qaeda was dedicated to launching airline attacks at New York, reflects on Bush. Both can be attributed to human error within the intelligence community......

Nope, sorry. You just don't get off that easily. This is a direct result of Obama's job since taking over the helm in this war. Although Obama, and his administration have deliberately, and with purpose taken this country off any prior war footing, by scuttling the notion that there is any such thing as a 'War on Terror.'

.....Bush and Obama have something else in common too. After 911, Bush launched an investigation into US security structure, and as a result, of that investigation, changes were made. Obama is running the exact same play book. I also strongly believe that security will be tweaked again in the future, as "other" bugs in the intel system will also be uncovered by attacks or attempted attacks. The security game will always be ongoing, no matter who is in power.

I find the language in this troubling. For the fact that the bombers detonator failed these people on Flight 253 were spared blowing up in the sky. That's a "Bug in the system?" Tweaks will be made, and should constantly as our enemy tweaks their own tactics, but if you don't think you are at war, then maybe that is the first tweak needed by Obama.

2) Shame on Dick Cheney and others for attempting to politicize this issue.

Really? Shame on Cheney eh? I thought it was everyones 1st Amendment right in this country to enjoy free speech? Another pattern seems to be that this is only afforded when one agrees with "The One".

3) But shame is not limited to political scumbags on the Republican side....

Maybe you should refrain from the incendiary language, and that would be a start in your own little way of refusing to politicize this? Ya think?

....A few Democrats are attempting to get political mileage by accusing Republicans in the intelligence community of purposely withholding the intel in order to make Obama look bad by allowing scores of innocent men, women, and children to be blown to bits. This is unconscienable BS. My wife, who is a dyed in the wool Liberal, saw someone on Keith Olberman make this claim, and she told me she wanted to puke. She is really pissed, not at Republicans, but at any Democrat who could be such a scumbag as to politicize this issue in such a monstrous way.

Oh please. Spare me the 'a few bad apples' stuff. The very fact that you use an analogy including how you watch Keith Olberman (one of the three viewers no doubt) a man that has entrenched a reputation as nothing more than a partisan flame thrower, and hack, is just to me evidence of where you are coming from.

4) To both Republicans and Democrats who are attempting to gain political points by such unscrupulous methods - Please, please, just go die in a fire. You are poison to America. Leave. Dead or alive, I don't care how you choose to go. Just get your sick and twisted asses the hell out of my country, and join al Qaeda, who appreciate terrorism.....

This country is no more yours alone, than it is mine. It is not "unscrupulous" to point out the flaws in Obama's thinking, or execution in this war. Liberals made a pass time of it for the past eight years...You do remember don't you?

And make no mistake about it - Terrorism can can be done with a pen or a word, just as it can be with a sword, or a bomb, for that matter. If your sick and disgusting rhetoric is able to shut down our government, even just a little, then you have accomplished the same ends that suicide bombers constantly seek. Get the **** out of here, and go align with your real allies. You are not Americans.

But your not questioning anyones patriotism now are you?

In the end, this looks like a breakdown in the intelligence community. Let's work towards fixing the problem, and leave the cheap and twisted political rhetoric where it belongs, in places nonexistent.

So the buck stops with anyone but Dear Leader with you eh? Mr. Independent?


:roll:


j-mac

 

[Ockham]

Honestly - if our Government cannot handle security for 300+ people at a White House dinner that's allegedly locked down tighter than a frogs ass, are we REALLY suprised about a potential bomber getting on a plane successfully and carrying out 99% of the event sans explosion?

REALLY?

The only thing this guy didn't do is wear a sandwich board with neon glow in the dark paint saying "I'M A ****ING TERRORIST. I HAVE A BOMB. I WORK FOR AL QAEDA (AL-KAY-DUH).

 

[Dutch]

I don't really get what this had to do with Obama or his administration. Most of the security checks were put into place before any of them came into office. The problem really was human error as I said in many threads before this one. Clear intelligence information was either ignored or not relayed to the key people that could have stopped the Nigerian from carrying out his plan.

The problem isn't the security system, it's the humans who aren't doing it properly.

I couldn't agree more. :mrgreen:


source

December 27, 2009
Categories:State of the Union
Napolitano: "The system worked"
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Sunday that the thwarting of the attempt to blow up an Amsterdam-Detroit airline flight Christmas Day demonstrated that "the system worked."

Asked by CNN's Candy Crowley on "State of the Union" how that could be possible when the young Nigerian who has been charged with trying to set off the bomb was able to smuggle explosive liquid onto the jet, Napolitano responded: "We're asking the same questions."

Napolitano added that there was "no suggestion that [the suspect] was improperly screened."......

 

[j-mac]

Honestly - if our Government cannot handle security for 300+ people at a White House dinner that's allegedly locked down tighter than a frogs ass, are we REALLY suprised about a potential bomber getting on a plane successfully and carrying out 99% of the event sans explosion?

REALLY?

The only thing this guy didn't do is wear a sandwich board with neon glow in the dark paint saying "I'M A ****ING TERRORIST. I HAVE A BOMB. I WORK FOR AL QAEDA (AL-KAY-DUH).

That is exactly right! I heard Obama's mouthpiece on the Sunday talk shows this past weekend, and on all 4 shows he floated this notion that there just wasn't any "smoking gun"......That brings up two different points here.

1) Is this administration so inept that they can't piece together the obvious clues that any American with a 6th grade education can see off the bat? There wasn't any ONE smoking gun, there were several!

2) Or, is this now policy directive handed down from the top to lighten up America's security apparatus in hopes of sending the message that we are now a kinder gentler America, and shouldn't be attacked because The One is now in office? Well, AQ is not getting the message.


j-mac

 

[Ockham]

Well, that'll be an on going problem until robots take over 100% of security measures. Maybe we need better humans doing a better job? Ever take a close look at the TSA people in the airports? Dunno about your part of the country but in mine, most I wouldn't trust to walk my dog successfully... just saying...