"Breach Is A Sobering Reminder".
Breach is a sobering reminder
By Colbert King
The alleged attempt by a 23-year-old Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, to bring down Northwest Airlines Flight 253 with an explosive device on Christmas Day should serve as a reminder that the successful gate crashing of the White House state dinner was no laughing matter.
Much, too much, has been made of the social climbing and publicity-hungry nature of Michaele and Tareq Salahi, the Virginia couple who got inside one of the world's most secure facilities. Lost in the levity, and the snickering about the bush-league behavior of the White House social secretary's operation and the breakdown in Secret Service security, is the fact that the Salahis' breach — as with Abdulmautallab's bombing attempt — could have led to grave national consequences.
Imagine the smiling Salahis — but with radicalized views and explosive devices strapped to their bodies — entering through the southeast side of the White House. Imagine them mingling inside the Secret Service's tight security bubble within the Blue Room, shaking hands and muttering sweet nothings to America's top political leaders and their distinquished foreign guests.
Imagine them setting off explosives during their audience with the president of the United States.
Abdulmutallab came close to successfully completing a horrible act of terrorism against America. The Salahis, had they a mind to do so, could have come even closer.
Don't laugh that off.
Colbert King is a retired member of The Washington Post editorial board; he writes a column for The Post. This item was published in the newspaper's blog, Post Partisan.
By Colbert King
The alleged attempt by a 23-year-old Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, to bring down Northwest Airlines Flight 253 with an explosive device on Christmas Day should serve as a reminder that the successful gate crashing of the White House state dinner was no laughing matter.
Much, too much, has been made of the social climbing and publicity-hungry nature of Michaele and Tareq Salahi, the Virginia couple who got inside one of the world's most secure facilities. Lost in the levity, and the snickering about the bush-league behavior of the White House social secretary's operation and the breakdown in Secret Service security, is the fact that the Salahis' breach — as with Abdulmautallab's bombing attempt — could have led to grave national consequences.
Imagine the smiling Salahis — but with radicalized views and explosive devices strapped to their bodies — entering through the southeast side of the White House. Imagine them mingling inside the Secret Service's tight security bubble within the Blue Room, shaking hands and muttering sweet nothings to America's top political leaders and their distinquished foreign guests.
Imagine them setting off explosives during their audience with the president of the United States.
Abdulmutallab came close to successfully completing a horrible act of terrorism against America. The Salahis, had they a mind to do so, could have come even closer.
Don't laugh that off.
Colbert King is a retired member of The Washington Post editorial board; he writes a column for The Post. This item was published in the newspaper's blog, Post Partisan.
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