Obama: Bombing attempt was intelligence 'screw-up'

About increased security at airports. It showed a security guard patting down a passenger. On the OUTSIDE of the thighs from knee to waist. Can't allow one's fingers to get anywhere near where the bomb is going to be hidden, can we?

"I strongly resent your inference that gays would be any more likely to abuse this invasion of civil liberties than any one else!" I sincerely apologize to Yaakov. I didn't mean to offend anyone; especially the gay community.

"I`m Iranian. We invented suicide bombings during Iraq war. I know what I`m talking about." So does being an Iranian Jew mean that you won't mind your mother or sister being scanned by a stranger? Is it OK if your Rabbi's wife gets scanned? Please ask your Rabbi what he thinks about this subject, then come back and tell us what he thinks and what LA synagogue you belong to.

"Athiest you could always catch a bus. Nobody is forcing you to go by plane." Hey peter, can you tell me what bus YOU take when you travel from Australia to France? Did you really think about what you wrote BEFORE you clicked on send?

"In exploring options, the government may consider a body scans exemption for traditional Muslims because of modesty concerns and nakedness." Don?t you realize by now that the people we are looking for would be exempt from a search with your exemption for traditional Muslims? Or do you want more innocent people blown up? So a Muslim with a bomb could just walk into an airport and say" no thanks I don?t want to be screened I am a traditional Muslim" and they get to enter and board a flight? If that?s the case then send all the screeners home fire the flight marshals and we will all just take our chances. Flying is not a right that I am aware of it?s a privilege and if you can not abide by the rules including the screening process then until there is NO risk of anyone getting on a flight with the intent to blow up the flight those who do not want to be screened can refrain from traveling by public transportation and exemption for traditional Muslims just stay home

"Will homosexuals take longer to scan thier prefered gender?" I strongly resent your inference that gays would be any more likely to abuse this invasion of civil liberties than any one else!

Being the brunt of so much criticism himself I guess it must be a relief to be blaming someone else for a change. Even if it is one of the more "minor" issues on his plate at the moment.

The people you mentioned are not in a hurry to leave this earth yet. The other faith is offering it for breakfast, my friend. I'm Iranian. We invented suicide bombings during Iraq war. I know what I'm talking about.

Nobody is forcing you to go by plane.

Let's all fly naked, shall we? Let's see is #1 gets offended or not?

Your arguments and points are well taken. You've succeeded in changing my mind on the topic (well, almost).

Do you want to live or worry about weather your muslim friends are offended or not? There are other means of travel if they are so worried about that. Don't hospitals use scans as well? I guess we should take away those scans too. The entire hospital staff can see them. This site is turning to comedy!!!

Why do talkbackers assume that only Muslims will object to body scans? What about religious Jews, Christians, Hindus, Bahais, etc, all of whome consider modesty a major pillar of their daily lives? Will it be ok if a religious Jewish woman is asked to remove her wig for fear that she might be hiding somethin under it? Will a Seikh man be asked to remove his turban for the same reason? If indecent exposure is considered illegal in most western countries (except on nude beaches?) then how will it be ok to see through everybody's clothing? Will a pedophile operating the scanner take longer to scan children? Will homosexuals take longer to scan thier prefered gender? This is a Pandora box that we have to think about way before opening!!!

You can't be caught weary and dozing off while in the midst of a long spiritual and physical war declared on you by militant Muslims worldwide as they rain down well-planned blows on you! The dots left behind by the Nigerian bomber were large enough to connect themselves and should have been a routine catch by even a novice person in any one of the non-government departments overseeing flights, etc., never mind the highly trained security branches of the USA who were sitting on this uncomfortable information while in a state of stupor. The enemy has long ago taken off its gloves and boasts and blesses each bare-knuckled blow delivered so let's take this brawl more seriously and win it decidedly.

There's just too much air travel in to and from the US to strip search everybody. And the rack and water-board have proved unreliable, fun as Dick Cheney may think they are. Neither the far left nor the far right will ever be satisfied. Maybe the rack and strip searching talking heads would do, and a few politicians. Meanwhile, maybe improving intel procedures and information sharing will have to do. The full body scanners are expensive and can only be manufactured at a certain pace. Nothing happens overnight. It even took Bush 6 days to mention Richard Reid, the shoe bomber. Obama talked about the underpants bomber in only 3 days.

... cares enough to publicly voice dissent and disassociate themselves from it, so now we all have to live with this incovenience, especially them! Perhaps if Islamic terrorists stopped abusing their own religion and that of others to serve their own militant agenda, then no measures such as these need to be instituted.

You can't be caught weary and dozing off while in the midst of a long spiritual and physical war declared on you by militant Muslims worldwide as they rain down well-planned blows on you! The dots left behind by the Nigerian bomber were large enough to connect themselves and should have been a routine catch by even a novice person in any one of the non-government departments overseeing flights, etc., never mind the highly trained security branches of the USA who were sitting on this uncomfortable information while in a state of stupor. The enemy has long ago taken off its gloves and boasts and blesses each bare-knuckled blow delivered so let's take this brawl more seriously and win it decidedly.

There should be no exemptions from scanning!! This is not only about the Muslims. There are also religious Jews who would have to undergo scanning. They could have a man to scan the men and a woman to scan the women. This is done for my own safety. I would far rather undergo a body scan than have someone blow up the plane I am in. And before anyone asks, yes I am a religious Jewish woman.

Also, from the article,: "liberal critics cried out over his order to have citizens of 14 more states, including Syria, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, undergo more rigorous searches... "Adding another crude system that just targets everyone from these countries is going to be ineffective and is going to hurt larger U.S. interests," I understand all this criticism. Therefore, from now on, all countries EXCEPT the Muslim ones should be more rigurously checked. No?

but without the need to perish in self executed human bomb explosion. Call it "simulated martyrdom". There is no total nakedness but in Paradise.

No opt out option can really exist. Otherwise a terrorist is just going to grow a beard and declare himself to be a traditional Muslim in order to avoid detection. My only problem with body scanning is that I'll have to go on a low carb diet and start working out a month before I fly anywhere.

Airport body scans likely challenge everyone's notions of personal privacy; however, the effects would seem especially acute and problematic for traditional Muslim women and men who would be "technologically disrobed" - exposing their bodies to strangers - an obvious affront to religious sensibilities and notions of modesty. On a related note, implementing widespread use of body scan imaging equipment at airports would appear to limit employment opportunities for and discriminate against TSA evaluators with such religious sensibilities since employees would be forced to look at and closely examine images of naked bodies as part of the job, again violating religious sensibilities and edicts of modesty. This new proposed airport body scan policy would seem to be a much more radical lifestyle accommodation for traditional Muslims than for others. In exploring options, the government may consider a body scan exemption for traditional Muslims because of modesty concerns and nakedness.