Flying Terrorists

The news is once again filled with a story about an "alleged" terror attack on an airline. I use the term "alleged" because the young Nigerian in question, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, although charged has not been convicted.

The fact that the explosive and syringe were found on him, not to mention the fact that he started a fire, makes him guilty to me, and rather than waste the expense of a trial, I think he should be sent off to that maximum security prison in Illinois where the rest of the Gitmo gang is probably headed.

What I want to know, is if the young man was on a potential terrorist list, did USA Intelligence share this with Netherlands Intelligence? Was Abdulmutallab on a Europe wide alert list, or did the USA fail to share the information?

If a flyer is on the terrorist watch list, does TSA routinely take these individuals aside and do body searches, or do they mainly follow normal procedure? If someone is on a terrorist watch list I want to know why they are no subjected to a body search as part of the normal routine.

After all, if you are on some kind of suspicious terrorist watch list, then logic tells me this individual needs to be subjected to special attention whenever they use public transportation. In my mind that means trains and buses, as well as airplanes.

Which leads to another question, what precautions are in place for train and bus travel?

Since Abdulmutallab boarded his final flight in Amsterdam I will be curious to see what hearings in the USA Congress will resolve. Will Netherlands Intelligence share what they find out about whether Abdulmutallab obtained the explosives in the Netherlands, or did he bring them from Nigeria? Will Nigerian Intelligence share anything they find out about Abdulmutallab and his activities in Nigeria?

If USA Intelligence does not get the whole story, then the gaps are going to be hard to fill in.

Finally, what effect will all of this have on air travel in the USA? Will we be forced to more detailed searches and longer delays?

What is the best method to protect American flyers with the least amount of inconvenience?

I will be writing to my senators with specific questions and I will share the letter and any responses.

If the USA is going to truly fight a world wide war on terror, then we and the rest of the world need to start cooperating fully to bring about a victory in this long running war.

Its Common Sense!!