It was bad enough that United States agents failed to take seriously the visit by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s father, a prominent banker to the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria to report his concerns about his own son’s associates and behavior.

U.S. Needs To Realize The Danger It Faces
By SHOSHANA BRYEN, For The Bulletin

It was bad enough that United States agents failed to take seriously the visit by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s father, a prominent banker to the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria to report his concerns about his own son’s associates and behavior.

It was bad enough that spokesmen for the U.S. government later said the father’s concerns, “didn’t rise above the level of noise.” It was bad enough that after the attempt to blow an airliner out of the sky with more than 200 people aboard was thwarted only by the brave instinct of a passenger. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said that all the security systems worked, a statement she was forced by public ridicule to recant. And it certainly was bad enough that the U.S. government moved first to its default position by saying Mr. Abdulmutallab was a lone actor, not a card-carrying member of a terrorist group.

It was unfortunate that when President Obama finally made a public statement three days later, the best he could do was note that, “This was a serious reminder of the dangers that we face” and “It’s absolutely critical that we learn from this incident.”

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