PHOTOS, PAGE 1

       Editor and prime reporter is Doug Terry, a veteran television and radio reporter in   Washington, DC, (details below)

This is a comment filed with the NY Times online, 5.5.10. The debate online centered on general amazement that the Times Square bomber was unable to get the explosive materials to go off. Here’s my take on that:

One thing that should not be overlooked, and can’t in any case be confirmed publicly at this time, is the possibility that the would be bomber did not intend the explosives to go off. This guy has a college degree and a masters in business administration, he should have been able to set off an explosion. Of course, just because you are reasonably smart at one thing does not mean you are necessary smart at everything. Some PhDs have trouble finding their way around a city block, from my experience.

While setting some sort of IED off is not that difficult, it is not purely a simple matter. Most everyone who successfully causes explosions practices the process. This can lead to detection and, in the worse case, an early demise. Plus, there aren’t that many places, even in the far western states, where one could practice setting off bombs without someone reporting it. In Connecticut, it would be an impossibility.

The reported background of the would-be bomber certainly gives one reason to question how dedicated he might have been to destruction and devastation. He has a wife and two children, he had established a life in America, including citizenship. Maybe he had ambiguous feelings along the way, but for some reason was simply unable to back out. There could be other reasons.

Having said all of this, there should be little comfort taken in the failure or his quick arrest. He was able to travel to Pakistan regularly and to engage in a serious planning process. One or two more elements and dozens, if not hundreds, of people would be dead. This isn’t a grand success and the politicians should stop congratulating each other. Besides, it makes the rest of us sick.

There is virtually no doubt that some variation on this type of attack in is our future. There seem to be too many immigrants or citizens with deep ties to the region of terrorism to stop everyone of them and too many people overall who are “inspired” by terrorist attacks. Had this guy been a little more clever, or moved out of the country more quickly, catching him would have been vastly more difficult and uncertain. If he really wanted to get away, it seems he didn’t try too hard at that, either.

Our government, almost nine years after 9-11, has still not stepped up to the challenge of terrorism on our shores. Wow, they are now requiring the airlines to check the “no fly” list within two hours instead of 24. Duh. Whoever said 24 hours would work? Oh, and now the TSA is going to review the no-fly list against passenger manifests by the END of 2010. I am so reassured.

We have concentrated our efforts at providing a largely fake wall of security that the public sees, at the airports, and not half as much as we need focusing on actual terrorists. We created 300 million suspects out of ordinary, decent American citizens instead of looking to the sources of terrorism. And, to top it off, we invested billions of dollars, and American lives, in rescuing Iraq from its sadistic ruler, a task that still has energy focused away from the target.

One news report last evening, on ABC News, indicated that the would be bomber was interviewed by the FBI following his extended stay in Pakistan. If so, we need to know why there were no indications of his plans discovered and resources need to be allocated to change that sort situation in the future.

A final thought. It is just possible that government can not do this job. It is possible that the Feds are too encumbered by rules and the mentality of don’t do anything controversial to meet the necessities of the moment. Every government agency wants a piece of this pie, the “war” on terrorism, because it means lots of money, lots of new hires and the potential glamor of saving the nation. While everyone who tracked down and got this guy should be commended, we need to get terrorists before they have a chance to strike. Who’s in charge of that?

Doug Terry

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