Saturday, December 26, 2009

First terrorist attack since 2001 foiled: Northwest flight 253 from Amsterdam




It's official, it is the first terrorist attack since 2001. As we know, since 2001, there has been no terrorist attacks as Bush-Cheney policies pushed the limits on constitutional surveillance (wiretapping), terrorist detention (Guantanamo Bay), and advanced interrogation techniques (water boarding).

Strangely enough, in the first year of the new presidency, in the spirit of change and wanting to have audacious hope to separate himself from the evil Bush-era policies of making terrorists uncomfortable, coincidentally, the first terrorist attack in U.S. territory happened. Thank God it was foiled.

So here's what we know based on U.S. official statements and press reports:

  • A White House official has confirmed with Reuters it believes its an official act of terrorism.




  • The New York Times named the suspect as Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab.




  • ABC News and NBC News reported that he attended the University College London, where he studied engineering.




  • Congressman Peter King of New York (R) said the explosive device was "fairly sophisticated". Bloggers and security experts suggest something was mixed on flight vs. prior to boarding.




  • Rep. King also reported that the suspect is 23 years old.




  • Rep. King also reported that there is now a "worldwide alert to make sure this is not part of a larger overall scheme."




  • Canadian airport officials reported that there have been new regulations placed on all U.S. bound flights and it may affect travel delays. This includes physical searches of carry-on baggage and pat downs. This also includes limiting passengers to only one carry-on baggage instead of two.
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