Bush Released Alleged Architects of Failed NW Airlines Bombing to "Art Therapy" Program

Many conservatives are in high gear accusing President Obama of being soft on terrorism, presumably because he has not started a nuclear war against al Qaeda. But missing from some of the ranting is the following information. Two of the al Qaeda leaders who allegedly planned the recent failed bombing of a Northwest Airlines plane were released from US custody by the Bush administration. Bush sent them to an "art therapy" rehabilitation" program in Saudi Arabia. Apparently, the program did not work.

Here is a clip from an ABC News story on this issue:

Two of the four leaders allegedly behind the al Qaeda plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines passenger jet over Detroit were released by the U.S. from the Guantanamo prison in November, 2007, according to American officials and Department of Defense documents. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the Northwest bombing in a Monday statement that vowed more attacks on Americans.

American officials agreed to send the two terrorists from Guantanamo to Saudi Arabia where they entered into an "art therapy rehabilitation program" and were set free, according to U.S. and Saudi officials.

See the full article here: Northwest Flight 253: al Qaeda Leaders Behind Terror Plot Were Released by U.S.

Northwest Airlines Passenger Attempts to Ignite Powdery Explosive on Plane

Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Northwest Airlines passenger traveling from Amsterdam to Detroit, attempted to ignite a powdery substance on a plane today. Although Abdulmutallab claims he acted upon orders from Al Qaeda, the FBI is suspicious and does not have any evidence that corroborates the story.

Information is still unfolding, but the Washington Post has made the following report regarding the event:

Although the device was originally described as firecrackers, investigators believe the material was actually part of an incendiary device, the counterterrorism official said. That distinction from an explosive would limit the potential impact to the aircraft's structure and the lethality to passengers, and also provide a possible clue as to whether it should have been detected by existing explosives detection equipment.

Although the White House describes the event as an attempted act of terrorism, the government has not raised the terror alert.

NWA Pilots Busy on Laptops, Overshoot Airport

The Northwest Airlines pilots that flew past their Minneapolis destination last week say they were distracted by their laptops. Apparently, the pilots were so engrossed reading their new flight schedules that they missed the airport and about an hour of communication with frantic air traffic controllers.


Irony: As the flight attendants told passengers to turn-off their laptops in preparation for landing, the pilots missed the landing because they were playing with their laptops!