Obama unimpressed by attempts to stop airline bomber

Alleged airline bombing saga leaves its mark on UK-US relations

Travel Insurance News - 07/01/2010

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Relations between the UK and USA appear a little strained after the alleged attempted by 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to detonate a bomb aboard a plane heading to Detroit at Christmas.

Although the man was arrested before the bomb could go off, evidence has recently come to light to show that the UK security services had already been watching the man during his stay in London from 2005 to 2008 and had observed meetings between him and others from political extremist parties.

In addition, the information was enough to prevent Mr Abdulmutallab from receiving new visa when he applied in 2009. However, the UK security services failed to pass on this information to the USA.

While the UK security services have defended this decision in Parliament earlier this week, US President Barack Obama has spoken out against the decision to remain silent.

Speaking after meeting his Cabinet and national security team President Obama announced that: "We have to do better, and we will do better. And we will do it quickly."

The President went on to deliver a blistering attack on his own US intelligence agencies for failing to intercept the Detroit airline bomber on Christmas Day. However, no job loses or reassignments have been announced at present.

Security checks are due to become much tighter for passengers passing in and out of the UK, with racial profiling methods under consideration.

In a recent press statement, Home Secretary Alan Johnson mentioned the controversial passenger profiling techniques, announcing that: "We are examining carefully whether additional targeted passenger profiling might help to enhance airport security. We will be considering all the issues involved, mindful of civil liberties concerns, aware that identity-based profiling has its limitations, but conscious of our overriding obligations to protect people's life and liberty."

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