Patterico's Pontifications

1/2/2010

Newsweek: “White House Adviser Briefed in October on Underwear Bomb Technique” (Updated)

Filed under: Obama,Terrorism — DRJ @ 9:24 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball of Newsweek break a stunning story:

White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan was briefed in October on an assassination attempt by Al Qaeda that investigators now believe used the same underwear bombing technique as the Nigerian suspect who tried to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day, U.S. intelligence and administration officials tell NEWSWEEK.

The briefing to Brennan was delivered at the White House by Muhammad bin Nayef, Saudi Arabia’s chief counterterrorism official. In late August, Nayef had survived an assassination attempt by an operative dispatched by the Yemeni branch of Al Qaeda who was pretending to turn himself in. The operative had tried to kill the Saudi prince by detonating a bomb on his body, but stumbled on his way into the prince’s palace and blew himself up.

The purpose of the Brennan briefing was to make it clear to the Obama Administration that terrorists were using something new — an underwear bomb:

“Saudi officials initially thought the bomb had been secreted in the operative’s anal cavity. But after investigating the matter more thoroughly, they concluded it had likely been sewn into his underwear, thereby allowing the operative to bypass security checks before his meeting with the prince. A main purpose of Nayef’s briefing for Brennan was to alert U.S. officials to the use of the underwear technique.

U.S. officials now suspect that Nayef’s attempted assassin and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian suspect aboard the Northwest flight, had the same bomb maker in Yemen, intelligence experts tell NEWSWEEK.

The briefing for Brennan is among a series of pre-Christmas warnings suggesting that the breakdown in the U.S. intelligence system prior to the Northwest attack may have been worse than has been publicly acknowledged, according to an article in the new issue of NEWSWEEK, “The Radicalization of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.” The full story can be read here.”

Now we know why Obama picked Brennan to lead the investigation. Either Brennan will quickly find out where the advance intelligence he received went astray … or Brennan is the dead-end and this investigation will go nowhere.

PLUS THIS from Politico:

“Richard Barrett, head of the UN’s Al Qaeda and Taliban Monitoring Group, was also raising the alarm on the Al Qaeda assassination attempt back in Washington in October.”

— DRJ

UPDATE: So the Brits already had Abdulmutallab on their “No-Fly” list because he’s been on their radar for 3 years.

65 Responses to “Newsweek: “White House Adviser Briefed in October on Underwear Bomb Technique” (Updated)”

  1. You’re right DRJ, the investigation will go nowhere.

    Except, under the rug…

    Teetop (1f1551)

  2. Briefed about the method…check
    Chatter about “the Nigerian”…check
    Warning from father…check
    Brits denied him visa…check
    Paid cash for ticket…check
    No luggage…check

    Right, nothing to see here, move along now!

    AD - RtR/OS! (685f75)

  3. (This post was supposed to be here.)

    Maybe I’m not looking at this the same way, but I don’t think we should be focused on responding to reports of explosives in underwear one week and in a collar of a coat the next, etc., Nor do I expect every TSA agent to know the latest details from “Popular Bombmaking”.

    To know they will use planes as missiles, not just hijack is important. To know people are trying to smuggle chemical components to make a bomb is important. To know people are trying to smuggle explosives is important. But to focus on specific designs I think is less important, because I don’t think we will always have intel on what form the next attack will come.

    I’m still more concerned on how a person who should have been under scrutiny got a pass.

    Had the bomb gone off, and we have info that links the bomb to an ex-Gitmo person, any place for a wrongful death claim against those responsible for letting him out?

    Comment by MD in Philly — 1/2/2010

    MD in Philly (d4668b)

  4. “… a wrongful death claim …”

    In a word, NO!
    Sovereign Immunity, since the release was due to a policy decision; just as you have no recourse against the parole board if a parolee attacks you.

    “If I can’t drive there, and El-Al doesn’t fly there, I’m not going”

    AD - RtR/OS! (685f75)

  5. I agree with MD. While it would be easy – oh so very easy – to take this news and, in much the same fashion as the left when we learned that Bush the Younger had been briefed about how it was possible that airplane would be used to attack unspecified targets in the US, act like shrill, shrieking morons.

    We could so easily scream about how this was proof that President Obama let this happen, how it was some sort of plot.

    But that would be stupid of us.

    First off, for as much as I disagree with nearly everything President Obama stands for and believes (or at least what I suspect that he stands for and believes) – and boy-howdy do I ever disagree – I don’t think the man would knowingly allow any sort of terrorist attack claim American lives.

    Second, I think he is far too inept – and surrounded by far too much incompetence – to pull off such a plot.

    Scott Jacobs (d027b8)

  6. I certainly agree with MD in Philly and Scott Jacobs.

    No government, agency or person can predict or prepare for any eventuality that may happen.

    In the government’s case, it’s especially difficult when half the population considers itself more of a problem than the people who are actually trying to kill us. Well, maybe not half, but a very important plurality.

    Ag80 (525921)

  7. First off Scott and Md have some great points, I give them both a +1.

    “No government, agency or person can predict or prepare for any eventuality that may happen.”

    Seems that the Israelis don’t have these continued problems.

    I will state in every post possible. Quit flying today! Drive, take a boat or train. Quit flying till the airlines fix this challenge, and they can. If you quit flying they will too!

    AD almost too funny!

    Gee how big an ass was GW made out to be because he continued to read to some kids in a classroom? Oboma could only worry over some invited kid that Aunt J did not seem to be able to handle. Messed his golf game it did!

    I do agree that none of us should have expected him to personally stop this guy, one must ask why the fuck are those that could have NOT doing their gotdaaumed jobs?!!!!!!

    This guy had more red flags flying than a May day parade in red square!

    TC (0b9ca4)

  8. You guys can hem and haw all you wish, but I’m telling you, people
    who do not believe we are at war will never protect as they should.

    Krusher (fad639)

  9. I think we know the biggest problem, the ridiculous demand by US policy makers to assume each airplane passenger has an equal risk of being a terrorist. Israel knows that is stupid and does the sensible thing- don’t waste resources on low risk and concentrate efforts on high risk passengers.

    Krusher, you are right, but even if these folks acknowledged we are in a war these PC policies would stand in the way.

    MD in Philly (d4668b)

  10. The Obama administration is determined to keep it’s head buried in the sand. Ergo, this investigation will go nowhere.

    Meanwhile, everybody except terrorist undi-bombers will have to show up to the airport 24 hours before a flight to be screened, scanned and cavity-searched by a minimum wage TSA goof.

    That’ll be awesome, right?

    KingShamus (fb8597)

  11. Since half of the Democrats thought Bush “knew” and practically flew the planes into the towers can we now say Obama “knew” also?

    UnderPantsGate.

    HeavenSent (01a566)

  12. Inept, incompetent – FACEPALM! DOH! Homer Simpson could not have pulled it off any better (worse) than the current batch of elitist morons we have running this country. Elections have consequences.

    Pajamas Media has a good story on Profiling today, see: http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-ethics-of-profiling/

    J. Raymond Wright (e8d0ca)

  13. So they had the NSA intercerpt, the meeting with Nigerian ‘Daddy Warbucks, the emails from Al Aulaqi
    to Major Hassan, the Wuhayshi note, about small gestures for jihad, what were they missing, a note
    for Ambdulmutallab jr, like Woody Allen in “Take the Money and Run”

    bishop (cd6b99)

  14. So, while our president was out surfing and golfing, the only thing that saved the plane full of people was the ‘fusing’.

    Now that’s comforting.

    And here I thought the worldwide apology and bash America tour was supposed to make them all like us. Another fusing problem?

    bill-tb (541ea9)

  15. Fruit of the Islamic Loom go boom.

    GeneralMalaise (68a574)

  16. Unless we stop trying to protect airplanes, and direct our attention to catching terrorists, the jihidis will continue to find ways to slip past our clumsy, disconnected, and ultimately incapable systems. We will never stop terrorism by herding passangers past check points. It won’t work.

    ropelight (58ef71)

  17. #17 ropelight: You have it exactly right.

    EW1(SG) (edc268)

  18. The Obama administration:

    Not ready to lead, incredibly incompetent,
    and unable to perceive reality.

    Smart power.

    CBS had a piece about Obama not getting
    enough rest. “Can’t recharge his batteries.”
    So, in addition to the above, the MSM is saying
    Obama is unable to function.

    Jack (e383ed)

  19. Good thing it wasn’t that Condoleezza Rice who screwed up after repeated warnings or we’d really have something to be upset about.

    Metallica (e4735c)

  20. “So, in addition to the above, the MSM is saying
    Obama is unable to function.”

    I certainly hope he can change.

    GeneralMalaise (68a574)

  21. Fruit of the Islamic Loom go boom.

    Comment by GeneralMalaise — 1/3/2010 @ 7:33 am

    But thanks to Mr. Churinga, he scored a Maggie’s Drawers. 😉 (Do they still say that in the Army, BTW?)

    nk (df76d4)

  22. The most amazing thing is that Newsweek actually produced a real story instead of its usual diet of warmed-over opinion.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641)

  23. Shows the hypocrisy about the August 2001 PDB all the more clearly.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  24. “I think we do a disservice if we tell people there are 100 percent guarantees. I think we tell them we’re doing everything we can to reduce risk. I think we tell people that they are also part of the system. I mean, the passengers on this plane were a line of defense, the flight crew were a line of defense. So everybody has a shared responsibility here. You can’t just say, well, this government department or that government department’s got the whole shebang.”

    – Janet Napolitano

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/opinion/03dowd.html?ref=opinion

    Shebang??? … shindig??? tomato, tomahto

    GeneralMalaise (68a574)

  25. Am spec “Prowler” column has anonymous soure explaining a change in mindset following O’s election, on red-flagging subjects:

    http://tiny.cc/pxP70

    SarahW (692fc6)

  26. She was at the agency head meeting on the 22nd, how dare she even try that gambit, frankly if she only
    came up between now and ground hog day, it would be much obliged. You’re not supposed to let terrorists
    on the plane, in the first place.

    bishop (cd6b99)

  27. Are we going to have 200 posts about this, instead of this concocted agitprop, or Charles Johnson’s
    ‘dereliction of duty’ from the cause of watching over Salafism and Jihadism. Yes if you’re a tea party goer with the Gadsden Flag and Palin paraphernalia, except the treatment, If you’re someone his own father warned relevant agencies, just go on through

    bishop (cd6b99)

  28. Bishop … Instead of a “gub”, he had exploding undies. Hadn’t thought of that movie in ages.

    El Al costs more, but you certainly get what you pay for. And I understand the food is better.

    PatAZ (9d1bb3)

  29. . I think we tell people that they are also part of the system. I mean, the passengers on this plane were a line of defense

    Oh please, Janet.
    She was so afraid the American people would become a mob of pitchfork-wielding Muslim beaters after Ft Hood that she refused to admit the truth about him.
    Now she wants us to be part of the system.

    If you want us to be part of the system, Janet, you have to be honest with us about what’s going on.

    MayBee (a4324b)

  30. There’s no reason to believe that Obama doesn’t have enough passion, enough motivation, enough fire in his belly, to confront and challenge Islamic terrorists.

    Yea, uh-huh.

    In the words of his former close advisor and friend, Jeremiah Wright: “America’s chickens are coming home to roost.”

    nbcchicago.com: After news broke out of the shooting at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas, the nation watched in horror as the toll of dead and injured climbed. The White House was notified immediately and by late afternoon, word went out that the president would speak about the incident prior to a previously scheduled appearance. At about 5 p.m., cable stations went to the president. The situation called for not only his trademark eloquence, but also grace and perspective.

    But instead of a somber chief executive offering reassuring words and expressions of sympathy and compassion, viewers saw a wildly disconnected and inappropriately light president making introductory remarks. At the event, a Tribal Nations Conference hosted by the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian affairs, the president thanked various staffers and offered a “shout-out” to “Dr. Joe Medicine Crow — that Congressional Medal of Honor winner.” Three minutes in, the president spoke about the shooting, in measured and appropriate terms. Who is advising him?

    Foxnews.com: In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting at a U.S. base, President Obama on Friday cautioned against jumping to conclusions on the motive of the suspect.

    “We don’t know all the answers yet and I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we have all the facts,” Obama said in the Rose Garden of the White House.

    Mark (411533)

  31. But she can’t be honest, MayBee, because she hasn’t a farking clue about what’s going on within her own agency. But what if it’s the opposite conclusion here, that she did know but willfully ignored the festering problems within her realm? Either way you go she’s an incompetent political hack, and is nothing more than a figurehead that’ll be the next to be thrown under that bus, while the larger culprits will continue to whistle past the graveyard.

    Dmac (a964d5)

  32. Frankly MD in Philly and others, I’m damned glad that Mr. Brennan and the White House now know that the first homicide bomber wore a “boxer bomb” rather than an anus bomb. With the TSA issuing totally ridiculous security kabuki theater directives after every failed attempt, we would have been subjected to “cavity searches” in airports. Now all we’ll have to do is hand over our underwear. White haired grannies first of course.

    Mike Myers (3c9845)

  33. Obama is Jeremiah Wright, Jr.

    Why do you think Obama bitched and moaned and threw a tantrum so he could keep his personal Blackberry? To “stay in touch” with a few “personal friends.” Presidents aren’t supposed to use personal e-mail and Blackberries and things like that. Security issues galore. So why did Hussein have to make an exception for himself? He obviously wants to keep in touch with people who, if it was known he was still talking to them, would damage him politically. Jeremiah Wright. Ayers and Dohrn. His other commie buddies from Chicago (and general) academia. Too many people would be able to get the info and leak it if he used the communications provided to him by the taxpayer. So he keeps his personal Blackberry.

    chaos (9c54c6)

  34. How many dots does the Obama administration need to connect? Is having the damn Panty Bomber’s name not enough?

    CNN reports:

    “The U.S. also had intelligence between August and October of this year (2009), extremists in Yemen were talking operations. Someone known as “the Nigerian” was mentioned, and they had a partial name — Umar Farouk.”

    Now, anyone who can convince me that Umar Farouk is as common in Nigeria as John Smith is in the U.S. might have an argument that there was no way to track this guy, in spite of the Brits blocking him, the Saudis warning State of possible underwear bomb attacks, and all the other dots that were not connect.

    And I read the other day that a directive was given by the White House in August that the U.S. was not to appear to be profiling Muslims in any way. Much better to force 80 year old blue eyed, grey haired grannies named McDonald to go through the body scanning machines and have their luggage rifled through. We don’t want to appear to be profiling Muslims, right?

    So it took Obama 8 days to admit that this was not an “isolated incident” of a “lone” bomber. But hey, the Panty Bomber has been Marandized, given a court appointed attorney, and even though he was singing like a bird prior to the office of Eric Holder getting a hold of him, he now has decided to keep his mouth shut.

    Brennen outright lied to Chris Wallace today saying that there was no “smoking gun” intelligence. Hell no, there was no smoking gun. There was a virtual firing range of intelligence leading to Umar Farouk A. And no, this investigation is going nowhere except the CYA Department.

    retire05 (67c0f2)

  35. “You can’t just say, well, this government department or that government department’s got the whole shebang.”

    Sh-boom, sh-boom.

    GeneralMalaise (68a574)

  36. Obama adviser: No smoking gun in airline bomb plot

    “White House aide John Brennan cited “lapses” and errors in the sharing of intelligence and clues about the Nigerian man accused in the foiled attempt.

    “There is no smoking gun,” Brennan said. “There was no single piece of intelligence that said, ‘this guy is going to get on a plane.'””

    I guess they missed that point as he was boarding eh?

    Nothing to see here

    “”What we need to do as an intelligence community, as a government, is be able to bring those disparate bits and pieces of information together so we prevent Mr. Abdulmutallab from getting on the plane.””

    This lat statement is so far beyond the realm of believability it’s sick. Hey Brennan the guy was draped red flags, he had to have others carry the spares for him! He could have had a marching band escort as well and I’d wager the outcome would still be the same. Bet another one could arrive today, STILL!!

    TC (0b9ca4)

  37. While it’s obviously true there was no “smoking gun,” it’s also true the interior wall of the aircraft was on fire and belching more smoke then 50 guns.

    ropelight (58ef71)

  38. “all is well” I didn’t know Kevin Bacon was the White House advisor on homeland security

    bishop (cd6b99)

  39. Words actually fail me.

    Brennan and Janet need to depart together, the sooner the better!

    TC (0b9ca4)

  40. # 38, John Brennan is an ignorent buffoon, and couldn’t protect a cookie jar from grade school kids.

    If our combined intelligence community is reduced to waiting for “smoking guns” before they initiate protection protocols, then we don’t need to waste our time and money on Homeland Security, TSA, or National Counter Terrorism Centers, we already have plenty of good cops, and any one of them can spot a smoking gun and take down the terrorists.

    We fund all these so-called “Intelligence Agencies” so we don’t have to wait for the gun to go off. It’s their job to connect the dots, to make sense of apparently unrelated bits of information. Since they apparently can’t or won’t do the job, we’re not only getting stiffed, we’re actually paying these slackers to expose us to unnecessary risks.

    ropelight (58ef71)

  41. From TC’s links to the article in #38 and 41 above.

    (This is a direct quote) “Brennan didn’t say whether anyone is in line to be fired because of the oversights. He stood by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, although he acknowledged she has “taken some hits” for saying that the airline security system had worked. It didn’t, and she clarified her remarks to show she meant that the system worked only after the attack was foiled, Brennan said.”

    Take a minute and think about that pretty little bit of hocus pocus. Brennan actually defends Napolitano’s “clarification.” According to both these buffoons, “she really meant that the system worked only after the attack was foiled.” Huh?

    What sort of “after the attack” system are they talking about? Do we actually have systems in place ready to spring into action to coddle failed terrorists? The so-called “clarification” makes Brennan and Napolitano both sound like their jobs include providing medical attention to injured jihadis, reading them Miranda rights, assigning them lawyers, and making sure they get tucked-in at night.

    Wow, just wow! Talk about being wide of the mark, Brennan and Napolitano miss the boat, the train, the plane and the whole damn Shebang! This isn’t just about being out of touch, it’s living in a Pollyanna fantasy, on another planet, in a different dimension.

    We deserve better, we pay for better, but we aren’t getting much of anything but double talk, tap dance, and insults to our intelligence.

    If these two simpletons are what’s standing between us and the terrorists, I’d rather take my chances with Rocky Raccoon and Secret Squirrel.

    ropelight (58ef71)

  42. I saw Brennan on This Week this morning. He has mastered the art of saying nothing with many, many words. He fits right in.

    Mike K (2cf494)

  43. Isn’t it telling that the part of the “system” NOT on the government payroll — the passengers and crew — was the part of the “system” that worked?

    Icy Texan (608536)

  44. I too watched Brennan on This Week, and also on FoxNewSunday:
    He talked about a lot of different parts of the Government, but he never mentioned the State Dept.????
    With the simple act of revoking his Visa in response to his father’s visit to the Embassy in Lagos,
    the participation of Umar in any plot involving aircraft would have been avoided.
    BTW, anyone seen Hillary lately?

    I am not re-assured by the words of Mr. Brennan that this Administration is dedicated to doing all it can to protect the territorial integrity,
    or security of citizens, of the United States.

    And just why are we (and the Brits) closing the Embassy in Sana, Yemen?
    In a historical context, that would be in preparation for an all-out war against that country.
    Are they planning on a strategic-bombing campaign to punish the government and people of Yemen?
    Is this how we get the nations’ of the world to respect us?
    Does anyone have any confidence that our Leaders have any idea on what they wish to do, and how they can do it?

    Perhaps they can blame this all on the Israeli’s?

    AD - RtR/OS! (06f36f)

  45. “…Maggie’s Drawers… ”
    Comment by nk — 1/3/2010 @ 8:05 am

    Don’t know about today’s Army (or USMC), but you’ll probably still hear that on-the-line at Camp Perry.

    AD - RtR/OS! (06f36f)

  46. Old men, both of us, AD.

    nk (df76d4)

  47. …anal bombs…
    We’ll know that this is a threat taken seriously when the check-in proceedure mandates showing up at least 6-hours prior to take-off, and downing a couple ounces of Caster Oil.
    Should do well for the stock price of paper companies.

    AD - RtR/OS! (06f36f)

  48. Oops…Castor..

    AD - RtR/OS! (06f36f)

  49. #45 Icy Texan:

    Isn’t it telling

    Indeed.

    EW1(SG) (edc268)

  50. How can anyone trust the judgment or competency of a person, particularly if he is in the field of security, who would scrutinize the checkered, pockmarked, ultra-liberal background of Barack Obama and not only conclude the guy was fit for the Oval Office, but a person good enough to be formally endored with campaign contributions (per below)?

    With people like John Brennan in charge of important facets of the federal government, America is being run by a ship of fools. I just hope we don’t sink any farther than we have to.
    _____________________

    Newsmeat.com:

    Brennan, John
    Herndon, VA 20171
    The Analysis Corporation

    Corporate OBAMA, BARACK (D) President
    OBAMA FOR AMERICA

    $500
    general
    09/27/08
    ________________________

    Brennan, John
    Herndon, VA 20171
    The Analysis Corporation

    President OBAMA, BARACK (D) President
    OBAMA FOR AMERICA

    $2,300
    primary
    01/28/08

    Mark (411533)

  51. Exactly, #52. Anyone in the “security biz” who would willingly contribute to BHO’s campaign is only pretending to be involved with our nation’s security.

    GeneralMalaise (68a574)

  52. Comment by Mark — 1/3/2010 @ 1:27 pm
    Small price to pay for a WH gig.
    The large price is being paid by all of us.

    And, nk, I suppose we both are “old men”, but I’ll go to the line as long as I can raise a Garand to the off-hand position.

    AD - RtR/OS! (06f36f)

  53. Did you see him today on the chat shows? He’s make a fricking plea deal with the Undie Bomber like this is fricking Law and Order or something!

    Patricia (b05e7f)

  54. “We’ll know that this is a threat taken seriously when the check-in procedure mandates showing up at least 6-hours prior to take-off, and downing a couple ounces of Caster Oil.”

    Make it 20W-50W ©Castrol and it’s a deal.

    ©Castrol… It’s More Than Just Oil… It’s Liquid Engineering.

    GeneralMalaise (68a574)

  55. “the Undie Bomber”??? Given the young perp’s age, shouldn’t it be the Undaroo Bomber?

    GeneralMalaise (68a574)

  56. “Perhaps they can blame this all on the Israeli’s?”

    AD – I knew those sneaky JOOOOOOOS were involved somewhere. They’re like everywhere!

    daleyrocks (718861)

  57. Memo to POTUS
    Subject: Counter-terrorism advisor Ralph Kramden

    Caught Brennan’s ‘hommina-hommina-bang/zoom’ excuse act on CNN Sunday morning. Best chucklers: everybody buys plane tickets with cash in Africa and a father turning in his own son as a suspected subversive was inclusive.

    Fire him.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  58. Boy, when Obamy loses DuckCrap, you know the worm has turned.

    AD - RtR/OS! (06f36f)

  59. Oh, AD, Commander McBragg is not blaming POTUS. You just have to understand the pressure that the President is under. I mean, it’s tough doing things so much more efficiently and effectively than hated GWB.

    Wait a minute.

    Eric Blair (ddbceb)

  60. Seems to me that the White House wasn’t so much “briefed” on this as pantsed

    Alasdair (60f3e1)

  61. Since the “gig is up” with the “load in the pants” form of terror events “human-caused-disasters”, we can now expect to see, taking a page from the drug smuggling “mules” playbook, explosive “turds” or ingested bombs that the latest TSA frisking will never detect.

    Neo (7830e6)

  62. OK, I understand the need to wear Depends because of the “stay in your seat” rule — but what better underwear to conceal a bomb?

    htom (412a17)

  63. Newsweek: “White House Adviser Briefed in October on Underwear Bomb Technique”

    Let’s hope they don’t be Boxed in

    Neo (7830e6)


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