Obama orders review of airline safety, officials acknowledge failures

Obama orders review of airline safety, officials acknowledge failures

HONOLULU (AP) -- President Barack Obama has ordered a review of how U.S. intelligence organizations keep the skies safe and the shortcomings demonstrated by the failed Christmas Day attack on a Detroit-bound flight from Amsterdam. White House officials acknowledge the incident involving a 23-year-old Nigerian with alleged ties to terrorists has made clear there are plenty of failures to examine. The suspect was on one advisory list, but Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (OO'-mahr fah-ROOK' ahb-DOOL'-moo-TAH'-lahb) never caught the attention of U.S. counter terrorist screeners, despite his father's warning to U.S. Embassy officials in Nigeria last month. Obama has also ordered Homeland Security to conduct a separate review of security procedures air travelers go through. Officials says that probe centers on how Abdulmutallab was able to get aboard a U.S.-bound plane with materials that might have brought it down. Obama calls the man's action an "attempted act of terrorism" and yesterday vowed to "do everything" possible to keep America safe." _Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed._