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07 Jan 2010 08:47

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U.S.: Bad timing: Underwear bomber was to be questioned after flight

  • wha? In a classic case of timing gone bad, U.S. border officials planned to question the underwear bomber AFTER he landed in Detroit.
  • why? While Umar Abdulmutallab was up in the air, the officials caught his ties to Yemen. They missed the explosives in his undies. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Dec 2009 10:35

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World: Amsterdam’s airport says Nigerian terror suspect passed security

  • Was he checked? Yes, Dutch authorities say Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab went through security checkpoints. In fact, they note that Nigerian travelers go through strong security when flying because of fears of fraud.
  • What was the weak point? From the sound of things, airport security could not detect the materials on him because they weren’t made of metal. Which means that we’re going to start seeing full body scans soon. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Dec 2009 23:27

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Politics: Max Headroom: Two Peters make a homeland security sandwich


  • Finger-Pointing Rep. Peter Hoekstra seems ready to stick a fork in Obama’s handling of terrorism on Fox News, blaming his staff for downplaying the threat. We think it’s a bit overblown.

  • “The System Worked” Of course, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano disagrees with Rep. Hoekstra’s assessment, and she was on CNN trying to calm the American public’s frayed nerves.

  • “No it didn’t, Janet” Rep. Peter King, looking like he’s going to rip someone to shreds, totally disagrees with Janet Napolitano’s assessment, but says that they need to work towards a bipartisan solution.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Dec 2009 20:30

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U.S.: Detroit terror flight, Mach 2: Don’t fly to Detroit from Nigeria

  • Human beings scared of their own shadow – more at 11. What happens when a guy from Nigeria flies to Detroit and is caught nearly committing a terrorist act, hangs out in the bathroom for an hour, and is stopped only by his own incompetence (and a brave Dutchman)? He gets caught. And what happens when a second guy from Nigeria takes the exact same flight two days later under almost identical circumstances, and also heads to the bathroom for an hour? We freak out and overreact. Human nature. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

27 Dec 2009 15:26

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World: Is the Detroit terror attempt part of a larger plot, guys?

  • ? Who knows? We’ll update this post as it happens source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Dec 2009 14:48

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U.S.: A second incident at Detroit’s Metro Airport; Twitter’s on it

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Dec 2009 11:40

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Politics: A quick note to the Obama administration on airline security

  • The president is very confident that this government is taking the steps that are necessary to take our fight to those who seek to do us harm.
  • Robert Gibbs • Speaking about airline security and Obama’s role in making sure it’s done right. You know, Barack, you seem like a reasonable dude, so whatever you do, keep in mind that you were once in coach like the rest of us, and you know what it’s like. Don’t force rules on us that fudge the real issues of improving security. It helps nobody and angers normal people greatly instead. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

27 Dec 2009 09:00

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World: In Nigeria, the terror suspect got through security, no problem

  • Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab even went through a secondary check. Obviously feeling the pressure that they let through a guy who tried to blow up a plane, a senior Nigerian aviation official explained the process he went through. He didn’t check any baggage, carried a shoulder bag, went through a traditional security check, passed with flying colors, and went through a secondary check at the boarding gate. He had a multiple-visit U.S. visa, but not one to enter Britain after applying to a bogus college there. Nigeria’s airline security, BTW, successfully passed recent audits. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Dec 2009 10:06

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U.S.: Jasper Schuringa reportedly the hero in the Detroit terror attack

  • My hands are pretty burned. I am fine. I am shaken up. I am happy to be here.
  • Jasper Schuringa • On reportedly subduing terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab after he tried to start a fire on board. He apparently was the hero – jumping over another passenger to reach him, grabbing the explosive device, and stripping off his clothes to ensure he didn’t have any others – but CNN has not been able to independently verify his role in the attack. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Dec 2009 09:52

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World: The Detroit terror incident stemmed from other security failures

  • Nigeria Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab flew out of Nigeria with explosives tied to his leg, a clear failure of Nigerian airport security policies.
  • Amsterdam Despite the fact he flew in from another continent, he wasn’t re-screened; if he were, his name would’ve lit up the screen. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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