US Ignored Terrorist Warning

U.S. government officials tell The Associated Press that the Nigerian man charged with trying to destroy a jetliner came to the attention of U.S. intelligence in November when his father went to the U.S. embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, to express his concerns about his son.

A congressional official said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian, popped up in U.S. intelligence reports about four weeks ago as having a connection to both al-Qaida and Yemen.

Another government official said Abdulmutallab's father, a prominent banker, went to the embassy in Abuja with his concerns, but did not have any specific information that would put him on the "no-fly list" or on the list for additional security checks at the airport.

Neither was the information sufficient to revoke his visa to visit the United States. His visa had been granted June 2008 and was valid through June 2010. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because neither was authorized to speak to the media.

An official said the U.S. had known for at least two years that the suspect could have had terrorist ties and was on a list that includes people with known or suspected ties to a terrorist organization. However, they did nothing to prevent him from being on the plane. President Obama criticized the previous administration for failing to "connect the dots", but in this instance, the feds ignored a clear road map. Meanwhile, the President remains on his vacation in Hawaii. See Chick's WHO CARES?