Many political pundits continue to write about the Christmas Day bomber.
I have seen no analysis of what Al Qaeda has learned from their experience.
In reality we dodged a very big bullet when the Al Qaeda trained Nigerian terrorist failed in his attempt to blow up a Northwest Airliner on Christmas Day as it approached the Detroit airport.
The terrorist group behind this attempt learned some things of great value to them:
1. They can still penetrate western airlines at will.
2. Their explosive detonating method needs to be improved.
3. The next means of using a body bomb device may require an internal method, i.e., inside the stomach or rectum. (This is doable and used regularly to smuggle narcotics into prisons, etc.)
4. Choosing non-Muslim, non-Arab bombers is best.
5. Rehearsal of airport entry areas is a must.
7. Watch lists can be circumvented with a simple letter change in a name.
8. Student visas are still good entry methods.
9. They can demand to be arrested by the local police and/or FBI and asked for “Mirandizing” and being read your rights, and ask for a lawyer.
10. Being given criminal charges (rather than being designated an enemy combatant) will get civilian courts not Guantanamo or returned home for trial.
What have we learned?
