Napolitano Offers Little When it Comes to Security

In interviews following the attempted bombing of a Detroit bound airliner, Secretary Napolitano hit the airwaves to reassure the American people. On Sunday, Ms. Napolitano commented, “The system has worked really very, very smoothly over the past several days.” Presumably, since the comment was made on Sunday, the last several days would include the time at which the bomber boarded his flight in Amsterdam, and would certainly include the a time frame in which authorities knew through warnings by the alleged bomber’s father that his son was a security threat. The last several days would also include the time in which Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab boarded a flight in Nigera with a one-way ticket and no luggage.

However, none of these particulars mattered to our Homeland Security Secretary on Monday, when she was asked by Matt Lauer to clarify her comment that the “system worked.” Given the opportunity to comment on the case, Janet Napolitano stated, “The comment is being taken out of context. What I am saying is that once the incident occurred, moving forward we were immediately able to notify the 128 flights that were in the air of protective measures to take, immediately able to notify law enforcement on the ground.”

Unfortunately, and embarrassingly for the Secretary, there is nothing out of context here. Her statements have been quoted accurately and in context for the questions asked; Ms. Napolitano was just wrong. The answer to the questions about lax security is not that after our security failed our system worked well to prevent bombing on the planes without bombers. To spin the criticism as being taken out of context is just another attempt to blame anyone other than our Administration for failings in national security.

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Ms. Napolitano also makes to references to procedures that were in place since 2006. These are the same types of excuses that have been tossed about since the current Administration came to power. It took a matter of months for Napolitano’s department to prepare various reports about veterans and Tea Party protesters being a danger to the Obama administration. But it has been almost a year, and the previous Administration is still more responsible for the mishandling of fresh intelligence than is our current regime.

Asked about how the system failed yet again, Secretary Napolitano offered that she has the same questions as everyone else. Rest assured, the President has ordered a comprehensive review. Meanwhile, I am sure the Muslim extremists will wait for us to complete another review. From the British newspaper the Sun: Failed plane bomber Umar Abdulmutallab has bragged to FBI agents that there are more young men plotting to launch attacks on the West.