December 29, 2009
Following Up
Chuck, back from the raucousness (until Thursday, 31 December, anyway) of my typical Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day festivities.
A belated Merry Christmas to many, Happy Hannukah to others. Sorry, we don’t do Atheism, Quansa or Ramadan (Ram-It-In?) here.
By “following up”, I refer to the aftermath of what’s his face, um, why do these murdering assholes have to have these tongue twisters for names, rather than just a simple “Abdul” or “Achmed”? Um, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, that’s it. One of Allah’s faithful, for sure.
Seth pretty well explained how we feel about Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland “Security” and about the way that passel of morons she commands runs the TSA.
And Barack Hussein, that guy a bunch of naive, anti-America or simply stupid people elected president.
Yeah, I know. I’m not what you’d call one of the politically correct, I just call it as I see it, though at this forum I endeavor to be considerably more sedate than I am elsewhere.
So, for this post I’ve brought with me a few links pertaining to the close call the folks aboard Flight 253 experienced and the state of our Homeland “Security” situation in general.
From CNS News:
President Barack Obama, in his first public comments on the attempted bombing of a U.S. airliner traveling from Amsterdam to Detroit, described the suspect as “an isolated extremist,” despite reports that the 23-year-old Nigerian had been trained in Yemen, a country he visited twice.
The Associated Press, quoting a Yemeni government official, said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab lived in Yemen for two extended periods of time — a year, from 2004-2005 and again from August-December this year. He apparently was in Yemen a few weeks before the attempt to blow Flight 253 out of the sky over Michigan.
An isolated extremist, of course. There are only a handful of misguided followers of the Religion of Peace© who entertain any malevolent feelings toward America and we, the infidels herein.
More of our fearless leader’s PC and other assorted bullshit can be found in the linked article.
But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren’t we? Also from CNS News, Homeland Security Touts 2009 Accomplishments, Including ‘Secure Flight’ Program
Just days before a Nigerian man tried to blow up a U.S. airliner as it descended into Detroit, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released its “2009 Accomplishments & Reforms” fact sheet, touting its “Secure Flight” passenger vetting program.
The Obama administration has confirmed that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was on the U.S. government terrorist watch list, but the 23-year-old man was still able to board a Northwest plane in Amsterdam bound for Michigan.
On the DHS fact sheet, issued on Dec. 15, the “Secure Flight” program is second on the list and is described as a program that “prescreens name, date of birth and gender against government watch lists for domestic and international flights.”
They sure did a great job in preventing Abdulmutallab, al-Qaeda’s newest celebrity, from getting aboard Flight 253, explosives and all, wouldn’t you agree?
From the Heritage Foundation’s Blog:
Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), the explosive Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to detonate aboard Northwest Airlines flight 253, is among the most powerful of explosives in the world and was widely used to blow up airplanes in the 1970s and 1980s. The only reason the passengers of Flight 253 are still alive today is because Mr. Abdulmutallab’s syringe detonator failed for still unknown reasons.
Yet despite the facts that PETN is easily detected and Mr. Abdulmutallab’s father warned the U.S. embassy in Nigeria about his son this November, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano had the audacity to go on television yesterday and say “the system worked” and that the suspect was properly screened. The “system worked?” The 278 passengers on flight 253 could be dead today but for a faulty syringe and the Obama administration considers that a success? That is pure idiocy. Idiocy that is a direct threat to the security of this country and that goes to the heart of the Obama administration’s approach to the war on terror.
What on earth could Secretary Napolitano possibly mean when she said the “system worked?”
Good question, read the rest of the linked post.
And then move on to what we’ll call a recap by Wesley Pruden, from today’s Jewish World Review:
Well, to paraphrase a famous president of a slightly earlier time, “you’re doing a heckuva job, Janet.” That goes for everybody at the White House.
If Barack Obama wants to reassure a nervous public that bureaucratic incompetence won’t be tolerated, he might look to the example of what happened to the director of FEMA in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. But no one expects the president to sack Janet Napolitano, the secretary of something the government insists on calling Homeland Security.
That’s not how an administration that regards words and deeds as equals actually works. The lessons in the latest Islamist attempt to bring down a Western airliner could be useful, but such lessons are too painful for the guvvies to think about.
Mzz Napolitano’s early assurance, since amended, that “the system worked” was either dopey beyond belief, or an unintended ringing endorsement of the ancient folk ethic that “G0d helps those who help themselves.” Better G0d than a guvvie, but not everyone can count on having as a fellow passenger a young Dutchman with quick instincts, athletic grace, a sharp eye and a full complement of bravery and courage. That’s not really a “system” for securing the homeland.
President Obama, interrupting a day at the beach, told reporters in Hawaii that he would pursue the plotters in Arabia and he would not rest until they are caught. This time he did not promise they would be executed, as he did of the Guantanamo plotters who are to be tried in New York City. But the attempt to bring down Northwest Airlines Flight 253 as it approached Detroit was “a serious reminder” of the dangers George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and other Republicans warned us about. (Of course, he couldn’t afford to say it quite that way.)
Mr. Obama’s tough-guy rhetoric, his words plain, pretty and well-parsed, is more reassuring than his deeds, or would be if there was evidence that he really understands what must be done. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the young jihadist from Nigeria by way of Yemen, was quickly indicted on federal charges of trying to destroy an aircraft, which means that he will have the full array of rights accorded to every defendant in an American court. Someone will have to read his Miranda rights, and he will have the right to a lawyer. This will please the civil rights radicals who imagine the Constitution to be a suicide pact, and who don’t, or can’t, understand that the most important civil right of all is the right not to be murdered. Murder, after all, is the surest way to deprive someone of his other civil rights.
If ever a system isn’t working, this is the one. Warning flags the size of bedsheets fluttered above checkpoints on two continents. The suspect’s father tried to warn the American government that his son had been radicalized and was looking for an opportunity to slaughter innocents. That should have been enough to interview the young man before revoking his visa. But such common sense, common nearly everywhere else, is rarely rewarded in the government precincts of the politically correct. Someone eager to scratch the itch to wound America might be offended.
Where were the intelligence services that soak up so many of the nation’s billions every year? Did the CIA talk to the FBI, or the DEA to DIA, or did considerations of protecting turf take precedence, as such considerations often do? The Obama administration promises an investigation, naturally, and of course it will be fair, thorough, hard-hitting, blah, blah and blah. Congress should be suspicious of bureaucrats investigating themselves, and conduct its own investigation. But Democrats in Congress will no doubt be more interested in protecting the administration than finding out what really happened. To find out might compel even a senator to actually do something.
The Detroit incident ought to persuade President Obama once and for all that making nice with those who are determined to kill as many of us as they can is a fool’s errand. He can go back to Cairo again and again to apologize as eloquently as he can, and when the apologies are over and he bumps the floor with his forehead in bowing to whomever, the Islamic jihadists will still despise us and will continue to plot to destroy us.
Janet Napolitano can conjure up more ways to harass air travelers, going after all those blue-eyed Scandinavian grannies in Minnesota again to avoid “profiling” the likely terrorists. She may require us to take off our pants as well as our shoes. But even with more harassment of the innocent, she still won’t have a “system” that works. We must pray for a Dutchman.
Amen!
http://hardastarboard.mu.nu/wp-trackback.php?p=1111
December 30th, 2009 at 5:50 am
Sooner or later, Obama will need to use the “T” word (terrorist), but I hope it’s before a plane is brought down by these radicals.
Personally, we need more action than nice words…
December 30th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Pentaerythritoltetranitrate requires at least some confinement to high order..not sure if jocky shorts fit that bill. IMO, since the character boarded in Amsterdam, TSA is off the hook, unless we have those
folk over there too. The ‘pros’ in spookville slipped up by not coordinating what they knew, and I’m not assigning blame there either…the IT guys don’t seem to have it all together yet. BTW, if you are older than dirt like me, you may recall how effective our response has been historically.
January 2nd, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Apologies for the delay on replying, here, but the New Year’s Eve party that began on my boat on 30 Dec found its way underway until this morning. Much partying was done by the eight of us in attendance while at anchor up the coast a ways, off a deserted strip of beach beneath sheer cliffs.
Needless to say, I haven’t been anywhere near a wireless signal until now.
Happy New Year to all.
So.
Tom,
Our only hope there is that Obama realizes that the Christmas attempt over Detroit will be seen as a wake-up call by most Americans, and that a second attempt, one that succeeds, will dash any small chance he now has for reelection and undoubtedly do a lot of damage to the future campaigns of his fellow Democrats.
After the wake-up call of 11 September 2001, the Bush Administration, weathering incessant damnation of the security policies it created by liberals and their Democrat Myrmidons on Capital Hill, kept us safe, nipping terrorist plots in the bud.
Unfortunately, I don’t lend much hope that this will occur, as Obama seems to have too many pro-terrorist and terror supporting country agendas.
BB-Idaho,
In taking responsibility for security on flights involving U.S. airports, the only sane, responsible approach is “in for a penny, in for a pound”.
If that’s not the way they do it; I mean, if they aren’t involved in security at boarding points of inbound aircraft and do not have personnel overseas working with their foreign counterpart agencies, then why should there even be a TSA?
Unless, to borrow a Seth term, its entire existence is cosmetic.
January 2nd, 2010 at 2:57 pm
“Much partying was done by the eight of us in attendance while at anchor up the coast a ways, off a deserted strip of beach beneath sheer cliffs.”
…ya didn’t run into that pirate Johnny Depps?
January 2nd, 2010 at 11:58 pm
BB-Idaho,
Given the caliber (no pun intended) of my ship’s complement and the amount of firepower inherent to such a gathering, Cap’n Depp, Cap’n Kidd, Cap’n Morgan and Cap’n LaFitte could’ve combined forces and still found themselves mustered at Davy Jones’ locker before they knew what hit ‘em.
Trust me on this one.
A pretty good chuckle or two may be found in Ann Coulter’s two cents on the subjects of Abdulmutallab’s misadventure, TSA, and our government’s air travel security policies in general:
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/coulter123109.php3
January 4th, 2010 at 12:38 am
I’m invited to speak at a conference in Maryland later this year, together with my soon to be wife. We are seriously considerig declining this invitation as neither of us consider the ridiculously complex “security” arrangements to which we are subjected are either effective, fair ir reasonable. Personally I find the system of double and triple screening my luggage for weapons insulting, especially when I am flying in from countries where I have already been screened and (In my own country mark you!)almost invariably selected for “random search” checks precisely because I’m in a race/age group least likely to be a potential terrorist and they can therefore claim to not be racially biased.
The fact that this little moron managed to get through all the existing “security” checks proves my point. My last visit to the US was less than amusing, since I chose to travel with my co-presenter from a German airport and fly on an American Airline. Mausi travels on a diplomatic passport issued by the German Government, I travel on an Irish one. I got the third degree because the check in staff couldn’t get their heads round the idea that an Irish citizen can legally be resident in the UK and is allowed to travel freely round the EU - worse, she couldn’t get her head round why I would have a UK Driving license, speak English and German or travel to a conference in the US as a principal speaker with someone from the German Federal Forensic Service, even though we explained this in great detail, callled her superviser(Who was even thicker!) and eventually some clown in a dark suit and dark glasses. I won’t explain my reaction to having my luggage ransacked twice at our destination. Let’s just say that there was nearly a “Diplomatic Incident”. Especially when there was no explanation for my and my artner’s luggage “vanishing” between our collecting it, the first security check, and the exit from the airport.
I’m sorry to say it, it not only annoyed me intensely to be told that the check was necessary in case I’d retrieved a weapon between disembarking and the first check and again between that and exiting. I pointed out who I was working for and made it emphatically clear that the carrying of weapons where I had started out from is illegal - unless your are in the Security or Police services - and asked, politely, if they thought that someone working for Her Majesty’s Government (That threw them even further - “But you’re Irish”! To which the reply is “Yes, and we aren’t all bl**dy IRA Terrorists or Republican Sympathisers!”) would be stupid enough to commit and act likely to embarass my employer or my colleague, who, despite her Diplomatic Passport was being subjected to the same stupidity!
Sensible precautions are not a problem, but far too much of this is about “job creation” and “being seen to be doing something” and not about security. The 100ml restriction on liquids? Do me a favour, 100ml of PETN would be more than enough, and its probably the most easily spotted.
Its going to be even more “amusing” later this year when my partner and I marry and this “Irish Citizen” takes up permanent residence in Germany. As I said, as long as the over the top and ineffective but irritating systems are in place we are considering declining the invitation to attend this years conference.
January 4th, 2010 at 12:46 am
And BB Idaho is right, PETN needs more confinement than a jpckey brief to get up to detonating point. I hear the little B*st*rd wo’t be breeding after this though even if he does survive ….
January 4th, 2010 at 12:48 am
Oh yes. My last visit to the US was using the same airline as this little …… I’ll take the train next time.
January 4th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Gray Monk,
…I’ll take the train next time…
LOL!
About 80% of the knuckleheads’ response, in the aftermath of one of their failures or near misses in preventing an act of terrorism, is being seen to be doing something, even though what they are doing is ultimately useless; Their bureaucratic mentality, however, evidently dictates that simply because they are making things harder on the people they are supposed to protect, said protectees will be dumb enough to believe that they’re merely making a “minor” (the people who create these policies being exempt) sacrifice to help the protectors increase security.
They really do believe we are all very stupid. My theory is that they believe this because they figure any population that was dumb enough to elect them, or those who appointed them, is dumb enough to believe whatever they tell us.
I hear the little B*st*rd wo’t be breeding after this though even if he does survive…
I hope not!
From today’s JWR, this is Mark Steyn weighing in on the situation:
http://jewishworldreview.com/0110/steyn010310.php3
January 11th, 2010 at 9:57 am
Thanks Chuck, yup, the train is definitely a better option.
My information from a very reliable source is that he no longer possesses the necessary equipment to perform any act related to breeding. I wonder how we persuade a few more of these idiots to stuff the same material into their underwear and perform the same self removal from the gene pool? I feel a nomination for a Darwin Award coming on.
January 16th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Gray Monk,
Sorry about the delayed response, I was on another cruise, just got in yesterday evening.
One has to wonder at the “balls” (pun possibly intended) of a man who would take the chance, especially at such a young age, of a misfire in his private region that does what his bomb did rather than successfully going off and taking him out all the way.
I mean, what was he thinking?
Regardless, it is indeed a good thing that he is no longer capable of abetting the birth of any children who might share his genes. Double whammy: long prison term, no more family jewels.
In his favor, he at least can find gainful employment, when he eventually gets out of prison, as a soprano with the Nigerian Opera Company or the Yemen Chamber Choir.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Chuck, I wish I could have joined you on the cruising. Yes, all one can say is “what a D*ckh**d. Oops, sorry, he’s now missing that piece of personal equipment. Never mind, I’m sure the Nigerian Opera can make good use of him….
January 19th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
“We must pray for a Dutchman.” Dunno if you are referring to van Buren or the Roosevelts. Or perhaps the Bushes, who are part dutch. Reagan was Irish and Scottish-his dad called him ‘dutch’ because of his chubby little face and bowlcut hair. But he was no
dutchman. BTW, was wondering about your anchor..shape
size, weight?
January 20th, 2010 at 11:22 pm
Gray Monk,
I’m sure the Nigerian Opera can make good use of him…
LOL!
Better, he could do operatic TV commercials, exported to the west, for the Nigerian commerce ministry, putting appealing lyrics to the various scams that are stock in trade in Lagos, thereby saving them a fortune in ISP costs.
Cruise-wise, the one I jmentioned was pretty easy, calm (for the Pacific) seas and so forth, but being somewhat into getting the occasional thrill wherever I can find it, I’ve spent most of the last couple of days out as well. We’ve been having almost continuous squalls and related inclement weather along the southern california coast since Monday, a tornado even made landfall somewhere hereabouts, lots of wind, waves and hard rain, so I’ve been out quite a bit playing maritime rodeo with my worthy vessel.
I was out from Monday evening to earlier today, running up and then down the coast about five miles out with a couple of friends who afterward told me, almost in one voice, “And I thought I was in need of professional help!”
BB-Idaho,
No,no, no…the Dutchman who jumped a couple of seats and pounced on Mr. Fruit of the Boom when the latter individual began PETN his privates.
***
Anchorwise, I am somewhat into overkill. I use a Danforth 35H, the larger of their high tensile yacht anchors, which weighs about 35 lbs. It is a smidgeon over 40″ high, the stock is 31″ long, the fluke 22″.