A terrorist almost succeeded in blowing up Northwest Flight 253 as it approached Detroit on Christmas Day, unleashing a national torrent of controversy and soul-searching about airline security.
In spite of the facts that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's father had warned U.S. authorities that he feared his son was becoming radicalized, that he bought his ticket from Amsterdam with cash, that he carried no luggage and that he was on a watch list, he still was allowed to board the flight with no extra security screening.
President Barack Obama has said the incident was the result of both human error and systemic failure.
But it has renewed the debate over how best to minimize the threat of terrorists. Some argue that everyone who flies is going to have to undergo more rigorous screening. Others argue that the only way to confront the problem is with profiling — using intelligence to track those who may be threats, and make them undergo more rigorous screening. Still others argue that the current measures don't need to be changed, because they would have caught Abdulmutallab if they had been used properly.
Tell us what you think.
Web poll:
Should airline security procedures be changed?
All airline passengers should undergo more screening.
Only those on watch lists should be screened more rigorously.
Just enforce current security measures.
WEB POLL RESULTS
What was the biggest news story of 2009?
Continuing recession37.54%
Obama Nobel Peace Prize5.57%
Health care reform21.99%
Climate change summit0.29%
War in Afghanistan/Iraq9.68%
Fort Hood shootings13.20%
Tiger Woods woes11.73%
341 votes counted.
