U.S. security officials knew that a person with terrorist links was aboard a plane traveling to Detroit on Christmas while it was airborne, but they failed to alert pilots and passengers on the plane, deciding instead to question the terrorist after the plane landed. As it turned out, the terrorist had explosives in his underwear, and the passengers survived his attack solely due to their own bravery and a malfunction in the bomb's detonation mechanism.Nevertheless, following the attack, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced "the system worked."
Administration officials said they planned on questioning other suspected terrorists "when the plane they're on reaches the ground."
Associated articles: Los Angeles Times; ABC News
