Churches, groups worry about members missing in Haiti

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/01/13/haiti.missing.americans/index.html?eref-rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Some Americans who were either visiting or working in Haiti when the earthquake happened last Tuesday, have not yet been heard from. The U.S. state department estimates that there are about 45,000 Americans currently in Haiti. There are a few different U.S. church groups there who were doing mission work, and a few college students either doing mission work as well or finishing out their education. Officials say that it is not unusual to not hear from loved ones until the initial shock of the earthquake has passed. So, until then, hold tight they say. They also say that depending on where their loved ones were relative to where the earthquake occurred, is a good clue to if their loved ones were even in any severe danger. Those of course who were in the most danger were those in or close to the capital, Port-au-Prince.

In my opinion, I think it would be very difficult right now being a family member of someone who was in Haiti last Tuesday during the earthquake. I think it would be difficult because more than likely I would not have heard a word from them since before the earthquake happened. And especially if I knew my loved one was in Port-au-Prince during the earthquake. I think I would be having night mares about them being crushed under cement blocks and such. But, during times like these in a country as poor as Haiti, I think it is the time to be doing all we can for the Haitians to help them. Because parts of their country, especially around the Port-au-Prince area, are just destroyed. So, whether helping them is sending money or donating to funds, or traveling there yourself to help with the cleanup, or sending more missonaries from your church and various organizations, I think all should be chipping in to help. Becuase the Haitian people are truly good people, and if a disaster struck the United States like one that just struck them, and they had the resources to help, I'm sure they would.

White House denies new details on suspect emerged during flight

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/07/obama.terror.report/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

An article that the "Los Angeles Times" published earlier this week stated that the U.S. government learned details about AbdulMutallab, the man who did the attempted Christmas Day attack on the Northwest flight bound for Detroit, MI from the Netherlands, after he had boarded and the plane was in the air. However, the white house is pushing back on that report saying that there was nothing new learned about AbdulMutallab while the plane was in the air. That all the information they knew was obtained after the fact from previous records. John Brennan, the assistant to the president on homeland security and counterterrorism, is going to release a report detailing what all went wrong in the incident/why it happened and possible solutions to the problem/what is going to be done to prevent future attacks. After the review is released President Obama plans to make a statement regarding it and the whole incident. Obama is demanding to know why AbdulMutallab was even able to board the plane given that he has a record like he has. Officials have said that his name did not appear on a no fly list. Mostly Republican critics have said AbdulMutallab should have been subjected to military interrogation, instead of receiving the rights of a defendant in the U.S. criminal justice system.

I agree with President Obama. I do because there is no reason that AbdulMutallab should have been allowed to board the plane; he was on a no-fly list. Even if officials are saying that it wasn't there, the fact is that it was. I don't know where the Los Angeles Times got its information about the government finding out more information about AbdulMutallab while the plane he was on was still in the air. I believe President Obama when he says that no information on AbdulMutallb was recovered until after the plane had landed. I think it will be a step in the right direction after John Brennan releases the full report of the incident officially informing the American people of what all went on formally. By him doing that the trust of the American people may be able to be restored once the whole story is made public; sharing the steps that the government took and what steps they are going to be taking to prevent future attacks. I don't know whether or not AbdulMutallab is an American citizen or not, but if he is not I don't think he should be given Miranda Rights. If he is an American citizen then there is no doubt that they should be given to him. But, since I think that he is not an American citizen, just guessing, that the act that he attempted to committ was an act of terrorism. And since it was an act of terrorism against the United States I think he should have been subjected to military interrogation. In the end I know either way they have tons and tons of counts against him, and either way he will get the consequences he deserves. And as a result of this incident I hope that airport security tightens up, even though officials are saying that nothing went wrong and that all security measures were followed. But, if he was almost able to blow up a plane, obviously more security measures need to be put into place so another incident does not happen like this agian.

TSA: Enhanced screening for people flying to U.S. from certain nations

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/01/03/tsa.measures/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

As a result of the attempted Christmas Day attack by Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab (He had explosives hidden under his clothes and tried to set them off when the flight from the Netherlands to Detroit, MI approached Detroit. He failed to do so and ended up setting his own seat on fire himself.), a list has been compiled of all countries that could possibly be a threat to the United States. The listed countries are countries that are thought to possibly have ties with Al Qaeda. The first four countries are those that sponsor terror: Cuba, Sudan, Syria and Iran. The next ten are also countries of interest: Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen. Also, as a result of the attempted terrorist act, enhanced security measures are most likely going to be taking place in all airports, especially those that support flights to the United States. Also, some extra rules might come out of the attempted attack. For example, giving pilots discretion to prevent passengers from keeping pillows and blankets on their laps during certain international flights and limiting movement within the plane during the flight.

In my opinion, since Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab was on a no-fly list, he shouldn't have even been able to board the plane in the first place. But since he did, I'm glad that the incident didn't become any more serious than it already was. I do think that increased security is a must, not just as a result of this incident, but to prevent future ones. I understand that increased security does take away individual freedoms, but it will keep all Americans safer in the long run. Personally, I have never been on a flight where someone has attempted to blow the plane up, but I don't think it would exactly be a fun experience, so I would like to keep it that way and increase airport security to prevent future ones, so not only do I not have to experience one, but no else has to either. I know some enhanced security may result in a longer wait to get to the gate and detailed x-ray machines. The longer wait is tolerable, but a detailed x-ray machine...I'm not quite sure how I feel about that, but if it would almost nix harmful weapons/chemicals/bombs from getting through security I couldn't exactly disagree with them. Also, the list of 14 countries. I understand that certain countries as a whole are more suspicious than others, but the United States does need to be careful in how they conduct their security measures based on the different races of the passengers. They need to remember that all should be treated equal, and if we start favoring one group of people over another either safety wise or suspicion wise, the true terrorists will only work that much harder to disguise its members.