WHAT WILL THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SAY NOW?  –  AT 10:19 A.M. ET.  FROM THE TIMES OF LONDON:

THE son of a prominent Nigerian banker, who allegedly attempted to blow up a transatlantic flight over America, was barred from returning to Britain earlier this year.

But that was not enough to keep him off an airliner headed for the United States.

Abdulmutallab studied engineering for three years at University College London. His father said yesterday that he had lost contact with his son after he left London in November last year.

He attempted to return to Britain for a six-month course in May this year but was refused by officials from the UK Border Agency.

“He was refused entry on grounds that he was applying to study at an educational establishment that we didn’t consider to be genuine,” a Whitehall official said.

So let's see.  Here's a guy whose own father reported him to the American Embassy in Nigeria – on grounds that he was becoming an extremist – and who was barred from Britain.

So far, American "authorities" are saying that there wasn't enough "specific" information on the chap to put him on a no-fly list, or even single him out for special attention.

Janet Napolitano, our fearless secretary of Homeland Security, said:

"You need information that is specific and credible if you're going to bar people from air travel," Napolitano said.

Huh?  The information we had seems awfully clear to me. 

Oh, Napolitano also had another gem:

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said that the thwarting of the attempt to blow up the Amsterdam-Detroit flight this week demonstrated that "the system worked."

Asked by CNN's Candy Crowley on "State of the Union" how that could be possible when the young Nigerian who sought to set off the bomb was able to smuggle explosive liquid onto the flight, Napolitano responded: "We're asking the same questions."

You cannot make stuff like that up.  That's what's protecting us. 

December 27,  2009