“Officials now say tragedy was only averted on Northwest flight 253 because a makeshift detonator failed to work properly.

“Bomb experts say there was more than enough explosive to bring down the Northwest jet, which had nearly 300 people aboard, had the detonator not failed, and the nation’s outdated airport screening machines may need to be upgraded…

“Al Qaeda, said Clarke, is aware of this vulnerability in the U.S. airport security system. ‘They know that this is a weakness and an Achilles’ heel in our airport security system and this is the second time they’ve tried it.'”

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“White House sources tell ABC News the President will ‘likely’ speak publicly about the alleged attempted terrorist attack on Flight 253 in the next few days. The President is on vacation in his native state of Hawaii – he has received regularly briefings on the incident and called for increased security for air travel, along with a full review of the terror watch list procedures. The White House is adamant that the President is actively engaged on the incident behind the scenes, receiving regular updates as information comes in. While on vacation Mr. Obama does not keep a public schedule, but he did spend much of the day golfing on Saturday and is spending Sunday with his family at the beach…

The President is walking a fine line. Responding immediately could perhaps increase the value of such attacks – even those that are unsuccessful – and encourage other would-be terrorists. President George W. Bush also waited to respond publicly after Richard Reid, the ‘show bomber,’ [sic] attempted to attack a plane by hiding explosives in his shoes in December of 2001.”

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“So we’re now all in agreement, correct? Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 was a cavalcade of cheap shots, and Bush’s speaking from a golf course in no way indicated a casualness or lack of appropriate focus on the threat of terrorism, correct? Because it might have been nice to hear non-conservatives saying this, oh, five years ago or so…

“At some point, a strategy insisting that unsuccessful attacks are not worth presidential comment starts looking like whistling past the graveyard, or pretending that the incidents aren’t a big deal when they are.”

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