For obvious reasons, the "security incident" that occurred Christmas Day on NWA 253 from AMS to DTW was of particular interest to me. While some say "the system worked" I'll go out on limb and say it didn't work and isn't working yet. I'll even go one step further and say the terrorist attempt was successful.
The system didn't work because today there is no longer the urgency and importance attached to fighting The War on Terror that there was even a year and half ago. Intelligence and security agencies throughout the world are no longer talking to each other or passing information back and forth. Bureaucracies are only growing and becoming more cumbersome. Terror is no longer considered an act of war, but instead treated as a crime. Terrorists snatched off the battlefield are given the same rights as American citizens. The perpetrator on 253 was "charged with a crime" so they could hold him. He should have been arrested, carted off to Gitmo and interrogated to the fullest extent possible in order to prevent future similar attacks. Instead, he is now lawyered up and considered innocent until proven guilty just like the terrorist who attacked Ft. Hood.
Our leaders in Washington (or Hawaii) are already pointing the finger at former President Bush saying the policies in effect that allowed the terrorist aboard 253 were put into place by the previous administration. Never mind the fact that on 9/10/01 there were NO policies in effect. Never mind the fact that Obama's Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano reviewed those policies and saw no reason until now to revise or improve on them. What the current administration needs to do, and do quickly, is stop finger pointing, and move from their current 9/10/01 sense of laisez faire to a 9/12/01 sense of urgency. They need to stop doing the politically correct thing and start doing what's right. They need to show some toughness and common sense.
The terrorist on 253 was successful in one major respect. He succeeded in curtailing our freedom as Americans. After this incident it won't be the terrorist or their network that suffers, it will be airline crewmembers and the traveling public as we deal with more stringent and meaningless security procedures - most of which are put into place to make us believe something is being done even though it isn't. If Al Qaeda can make us afraid and restrict our freedom to move about, the terrorists feel they have succeeded.
What we need to do is treat the terrorists for what they are. When captured, we need to get information from them, not read them their rights. We need to severely punish those that harbor them. That way those around them will cast them out. We need to do much more profiling. We need to get serious again about fighting The War on Terror. Prohibiting pillows on your lap for the last hour of the flight is not serious. If we don't get serious, we have only ourselves to blame for the next 9/11.
6 comments:
One of the first reports I heard said "the BO administration said the system worked properly." What? They really do think we're complete idiots. And then you see this. "Our leaders in Washington (or Hawaii) are already pointing the finger at former President Bush saying the policies in effect that allowed the terrorist aboard 255 were put into place by the previous administration."
You can't have it both ways. But this administration wants it all ways. Whichever makes the most sense to whomever they are talking to.
I was waiting for your post on this, esp. since you may start doing international flights. This "alleged" incident (don't you like this wording coming from the CnC?) I suppose the alleged perp burned himself with some hot coffee.
Not only did the finger get pointed to the Bush Admin but also to current Republicans for holding up the nomination of TSA chief, thus resulting in a lack of leadership at top. Obviously Janet Napolitano has no clue there are organized groups that want to attack us. I have yet to figure out this administration's rationale
When Obama made his statement yesterday (THREE days after the terrorist attack - talk about "My Pet Goat"), he sounded like a defense attorney for the alleged "isolated extremist".
....and the other thing - they've given this guy a friggin lawyer instead of taking him out back to extract intelligence. We'll never know who aided him, the connections on the ground, lots of valuable stuff that could avert another attack - which AlQueada has told us is coming. After the shoe bomber we have to remove our shoes - now what? - take our underwear off? Not gonna be a pretty sight...
I already get frisked during every trip through security because of the titanium knee but they don't frisk the crotch where this guy was carrying the explosives. It will be interesting to see how they handle this one moving forward.
Maybe someday we'll use some Common Sense and do it like the Israelis. In addition to the standard mechanical scans, etc., THEY PROFILE. A security agent engages the "profilee" in a bit of conversation. Finally, if the conversation doesn't go quite well, then the "profilee" is taken aside and searched thoroughly. What do you think would have happened to the "crotch bomber" had he tried to board an El Al aircraft?
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