That's the name of the Nigerian man who tried to blow up an airplane on Christmas Day. His father had notified authorities that Umar had become more radical and had disappeared. The father's concerns were ignored. According to authorities, this is not unusual.
Umar's attempt to blow up the plane ended in failure. Apparently he only managed to set himself on fire before other passengers intervened and basically sat on him until the plane landed. This was a matter of luck.
Airport security is a farce. People are subjected to long lines, long delays, humiliating searches, all to provide an illusion of safety. In fact, these searches are ineffective. No doubt they protect us from anyone carrying a nail file or bottled water, but when they're loaded with explosives they are useless.
I'm not exactly advocating making everyone strip naked and submit to a cavity search before boarding a plane, though that would tend to weed out a whole lot of contraband. And travelers, as well. Still, when someone has been identified as a potential terror threat by his own father, it might be a good idea to give that person more than a cursory glance as he boards a plane.
Not long ago I took a domestic flight to and from California. Because I had a beard, I was "randomly" searched for explosives in my shoes on both flights. My carry on was X-rayed, as usual, and I eventually passed muster. When I got home and was unpacking the carry on, I discovered to my horror that some blades from an Exacto knife had gotten into the lining. How was I ever permitted to fly round trip with those in my baggage? I should have spent an uncomfortable couple of hours at O'Hare airport, explaining to the nice DHS men why I was trying to board a plane with razor-sharp blades hidden in my bag. They checked my shoes; why didn't they check my bag more carefully?
Not that I'm complaining, exactly. After all, their carelessness saved me a harsh interrogation and possible trip to jail. Still, if I had been a terrorist, I might have brought down the whole plane with my Exacto blades.
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