The WaPo Cites The BHO Administration's Negligence

The hard-copy title of one of the lead editorials in Saturday's edition of the Washington Post: "Christmas Day Negligence." The web title of that same editorial: "Did the Obama administration blow an opportunity in the Flight 253 case?"

Excerpt therefrom:

UMAR FAROUK Abdulmutallab was nabbed in Detroit on board Northwest Flight 253 after trying unsuccessfully to ignite explosives sewn into his underwear. The Obama administration had three options: It could charge him in federal court. It could detain him as an enemy belligerent. Or it could hold him for prolonged questioning and later indict him, ensuring that nothing Mr. Abdulmutallab said during questioning was used against him in court.

It is now clear that the administration did not give serious thought to anything but Door No. 1. This was myopic, irresponsible and potentially dangerous.

Whether to charge terrorism suspects or hold and interrogate them is a judgment call. We originally supported the administration's decision in the Abdulmutallab case, assuming that it had been made after due consideration. But the decision to try Mr. Abdulmutallab turns out to have resulted not from a deliberative process but as a knee-jerk default to a crime-and-punishment model.

More and more, the WaPo is openly and pointedly criticizing the BHO administration. Even the WaPo sees the incompetence of the present administration.

Northwest 253 Passenger Says Flight Was Videotaped

A passenger on Northwest (Delta) flight #253 Christmas Day is claiming that the entire flight was videotaped by an unidentified man seated several rows behind the would-be bomber.

Oconomowoc Family Survives Terrorist Attempt
By Jay Sorgi
Story Created: Dec 28, 2009

(Story Updated: Dec 28, 2009 )

MILWAUKEE - "I would just like to know how to get to Ethiopia by boat."

Patricia "Scotty" Keepman still has a sense of humor after the harrowing experience she, her husband, daughter and two new adopted children from Ethiopia had as a man tried to detonate an explosive device while their plane was getting ready to land in Detroit on Christmas Day.

[...]

They were sitting about 20 rows behind Abdulmutallab, in a center aisle with her husband and daughter a row ahead of her and their two new adopted children, a six-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy.

Her daughter said that ahead of them was a man who videotaped the entire flight, including the attempted detonation.

"He sat up and videotaped the entire thing, very calmly," said Patricia. "We do know that the FBI is looking for him intensely. Since then, we've heard nothing about it."

"We heard what sounded like an electrical pop to me. Everybody looked above their seats, kind of like startled, panicked. Shortly thereafter, we heard the screams. We could not see what was going on. We were too far back. We heard shouting, and you could hear the mayhem happening.

At that point, two flight attendants ran at full speed to get fire extinguishers.



There's lots more but the money quote is highlighted in red.

Only sketchy coverage of this story appears to be available at this point, so neither the credibility of this witness or whether this is actually being investigated by the FBI is confirmed at this point.

However, if the story is accurate, one can think of several reasons for a passenger "calmly" videotaping an entire transatlantic flight, including a violent confrontation involving fire breaking out on the aircraft, such as having nothing better to do and not understanding the situation. The most disturbing question is why would the accomplice of a suicide bomber bother to videotape a flight that is supposed to end in detonation of a bomb?

MORE ON THE CHRISTMAS DAY DELTA JIHADIST

Was this jihadi drugged up beyond comprehension? If so, there was a guardian angel working with this plane load of passengers as well. Had Farouk been in control of all of his mental faculties (to the extent islam prevents such control) this situtation would have had a very different outcome.

Wait on verification of this one, but it's reported online that Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab's incredible poverty and political connections may have also afforded him an interpreter at the airport to explain his lack of passport.

"I was on this flight today and am thankful to be alive. My wife and I were returning from an African safari and had this connecting flight through Amsterdam. I sat in row 27, which was 7 rows behind the terrorist. I got to see the whole thing take place and it was very scary. Thanks to a few quick acting people I am still alive today.
For those of you talking about airline security in this thread, I was next to the terrorist when he checked in at the Amsterdam airport early on Christmas. My wife and I were playing cards directly in front of the check in counter. This is what I saw (and I relayed this to the FBI when we were held in customs):


An Indian man in a nicely dressed suit around age 50 approached the check in counter with the terrorist and said "This man needs to get on this flight and he has no passport." The two of them were an odd pair as the terrorist is a short, black man that looked like he was very poor and looks around age 17(Although I think he is 23 he doesn't look it). It did not cross my mind that they were terrorists, only that the two looked weird together. The ticket taker said "you can't board without a passport". The Indian man then replied, "He is from Sudan, we do this all the time". I can only take from this to mean that it is difficult to get passports from Sudan and this was some sort of sympathy ploy. The ticket taker then said "You will have to talk to my manager", and sent the two down a hallway. I never saw the Indian man again as he wasn't on the flight. It was also weird that the terrorist never said a word in this exchange. Anyway, somehow, the terrorist still made it onto the plane. I am not sure if it was a bribe or just sympathy from the security manager.

**************

@ HotAir
One passenger says that the terrorist’s pants were “on fire,” which corroborates the reports of severe burns he suffered. However, the next passenger interviewed reported that the terrorist was calm, not in shock at all. In other terrorist attacks, such as in Mumbai and Afghanistan, the terrorists got themselves so high on drugs that they were unable to feel pain. It sounds as if that may have been the case here, because anyone who had those kinds of burns — by some report, third-degree burns — would not be sitting calmly unless heavily medicated.