| President Barrack Obama and his cadre of | | | | commercial airliner headed for Detroit, Michigan. |
| supporters are finding their worst nightmare | | | | While the attack failed - the Obama Administration |
| coming true: the global war on terror is not going | | | | once again bungled the aftermath. Homeland |
| away. | | | | Security Secretary Janet Napolitano pronounced, |
| The bad news for President Obama and the | | | | "the system worked" in describing the near-miss |
| Democrats as the 2010 mid-term elections are | | | | attack which would have killed everyone on board |
| not far away, and national security is gaining | | | | the Northwest jet airliner. |
| strength as a primary campaign issue, and one | | | | During this time President Obama remained silent |
| that will help Republicans. | | | | for three days- only to finally call the attacker "an |
| This could force Democrats to defend their | | | | isolated extremist" - despite the fact that he had |
| long-held belief that terrorism is more of a criminal | | | | been recruited and trained by al-Qaida in Yemen |
| justice issue than a military one. Republicans see it | | | | specifically for the Christmas Day bombing |
| differently - they view the bad guys as military | | | | attempt. |
| combatants, believe they should be treated as | | | | Once arrested, he was placed in the criminal |
| enemy soldiers, and processed through the | | | | justice system where he was afforded a lawyer |
| military justice system. | | | | who immediately advised his client to stop |
| President Obama established a new tone toward | | | | co-operating with authorities. Thus, the U.S. lost |
| terrorism early in his Administration by quickly | | | | any chance of gleaning intelligence from the |
| signaling that the U.S. would not use the term | | | | terrorist about other al-Qaida sponsored attacks. |
| "global war on terror". | | | | Meanwhile, John Brennan, Assistant to the |
| The President also gave an "all clear" signal to the | | | | President, Homeland Security, told Fox News |
| Justice Department to investigate, and seek | | | | Sunday that no one in authority within the |
| criminal prosecutions against, Bush Administration | | | | government had been signaled that the Nigerian |
| lawyers for legal advice they gave relative to | | | | man was a potential terrorist threat. "There was |
| enhance interrogation methods against terrorists in | | | | no smoking gun. No piece of intelligence that said |
| the aftermath of 9-11. This sent shivers up and | | | | this guy's a terrorist. He's going to get on a plane. |
| down CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. | | | | No, not whatsoever", he said. |
| He kept his pledge to close the Guantanamo | | | | That was not true as the man's own father |
| Detention Camp located in the southeast corner | | | | reportedly warned U.S. officials that his son was |
| of Cuba - and plans to bring those terrorists to a | | | | someone who needed to be watched closely. |
| federal facility in southern Illinois. | | | | President Obama has said they "screwed up" and |
| However, terrorism resurfaced in November with | | | | that authorities had plenty of information to |
| a shooting attack at a military base in Fort Hood, | | | | uncover the plot before it ever got off the |
| Texas. The public was alarmed when the Obama | | | | ground. |
| Administration - including the FBI - would not | | | | The public did not have the patience for the all-out |
| acknowledge the shootings as an act of terror, | | | | assault against terrorism that punctuated the Bush |
| despite the attack resulting in 13 dead and 31 | | | | years - but the fact remains the country was |
| wounded. | | | | kept safe for seven years following the horrific |
| On Christmas Day came yet another terrorist | | | | events of September 11. |
| act, in an attempted bombing by a Nigerian man, | | | | People are nervous about that record continuing |
| with al-Qaida connections and training, of a | | | | under President Obama. |