Dastardly detonation

The lead article in today’s New York Times is titled, “U.S. Says Plane Passenger Tried to Detonate Device.” It describes the now ad nauseum coverage of the  attempt by a Islamic Nigerian to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight en route from Amsterdam to  Detroit.

The White House described the attempt as an act of terrorism,  and the article provides some of the rapidly developing details, namely that the man had explosive taped to his leg and tried to detonate it by mixing with another substance. It also mentioned a near simultaneous announcement  by Republican Peter King about the  potentially devastating results if the attempt had been successful.

The United States and many foreign countries are immediately responding by stepping up security measures at national and international airports, though in my view, this is rather  like trying to retrieve spilt milk, or in another cliche, closing the barn door after the horse has escaped.

I’m a bit perturbed by the alacrity of Representative King to comment on a national security situation, primarily because it smacks of politics,  and  this is a serious matter. The  non-stop coverage on CNN today is also a bit  overblown as,  after all, noone was hurt,  and it  represents a serious but not world-encompassing event.

It was reassuring, however, to hear about the briefings of President Obama and his hands-on management of the situation. I think  he is doing the right thing  by keeping a low profile and letting  the security agencies, FBI and CIA do their job.