September 11, 2001 flashed back into the nation’s consciousness on December 25, 2009 when a Northwest jet bound for Detroit from Amsterdam narrowly escaped being blown up by a terrorist bomber. A 23-year-old Nigerian man, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was subdued by fellow passengers as he held a burning device in his lap. Tragedy was averted and hundreds of lives were saved. But shock waves reverberated throughout the country as the story unfolded.

Abdulmutallab, the son of a wealthy Nigerian family, apparently became radicalized while attending University College in London (2005 -2008) where he was president of the Islamic Society. After he earned a degree in mechanical engineering, he traveled to Yemen “to study Arabic” from August 2008 to December. Yemeni officials say that he had a valid American visa and “there was nothing suspicious about his intention to visit Yemen.” Al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula, which is located in Yemen, took responsibility for the thwarted bombing in a statement accompanied by a photograph of Abdulmutallab. He was called a hero who had “penetrated all modern and sophisticated technology and devices and security barriers in airports of the world” and “reached his target.” The statement continued, “mujahedeen brothers in the manufacturing department” had supplied the explosives and although “a technical error led to an incomplete detonation,” the group vowed to “continue on the same path.”

More details emerged about Abdulmutallab’s father, a

prominent retired Nigerian banker, who had become alarmed by his son’s radical talk when he telephoned from Yemen. Mr. Mutallab contacted Nigerian officials who advised him to contact the United States Embassy. He visited the embassy on November l9 and told them in strong terms that his son had been radicalized and was probably in Yemen. A State Department spokesman, P.J. Crowley, said that the information was taken “seriously” but it was judged “insufficient” to revoke his visa. His file was flagged for investigation if he reapplied for another visa. Embassy officials discussed the information on November 20 and sent a cable to Washington where his name was added to a database of 550,000 names with “suspicion of terrorist ties.” His name was not placed on the Nofly list of 4,000 names.

Was this a critical failure in judgment – to underestimate the danger inherent in the information from a distinguished father alarmed by his son’s behavior and words? Where does human error fit into connecting the dots? Would it not have been wiser to err on the side of caution and place him on the No-fly list? Was there a check with Britain, or other nations to learn if Abdulmutallab was on their No-fly lists? If there had been an exchange of data bases, U.S. officials would have learned that his application for a renewed student visa had been rejected by the British in May. He had been placed on their official watch list to prevent him from re-entering Britain. If this cross-data base-check had occurred when he arrived at the Northwest Airline ticket counter in Amsterdam, would a red flag have gone up? These questions need to be addressed and answered.

Beyond this riveting personal story, lie significant broad questions: “What progress has occurred in security since the 9/11 Commission Report made specific recommendations to improve safety in the skies? How has the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employed technology for screening at airports in the United States? What is the state of screening at major airports overseas? Is a U.S. No-fly list of about 4,000 names sufficient to keep out potential terrorists? Is there a reciprocal arrangement to share data bases with other countries?

President Obama ordered the national security team to “keep up the pressure” on terrorists and vowed to “use every element of our national power to disrupt, dismantle and defeat the violent extremists who threaten us, whether they are from Afghanistan or Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia, or anywhere they are plotting attacks on the U.S. homeland.” He also ordered a review of the two major parts of the aviation security system - the creation of watch lists and the use of detection equipment at airport checkpoints.

There are two types of screening devices: X-ray backscatter and Millimeter wave screening. The first reveals concealed items through X-ray imagery that looks like a chalk etching. The TSA has purchased 150 of these units to be installed next year. Millimeter wave screening reveals concealed items without exposure to radiation in an image that looks like a photo negative. There are currently 40 of these units in use at l9 airports, out of a total of 450 airports in the U.S. Amsterdam’s airport has 15 of these machines but they are prohibited from using them on passengers bound for the United States. An official there did not explain the reason for this. It should be noted that there has been public concern in the U.S. about an invasion of privacy by these devices. American aviation offices have now mandated that airports across the world do physical pat-downs of passengers on flights headed to the United States, a practice that in the past had also raised privacy objections.

After the December 25 scare, TSA issued new security guidelines: all international flights bound for the United States will have plain clothes air marshals mixed with the passengers; extra teams of trained security personnel will be at overseas airports looking for suspicious activity among passengers; passengers will not be able to leave their seats during the last hour of the flight; blankets and pillows will be removed during the last hour with nothing remaining on passengers’laps; only one piece of carry-on luggage will be allowed, including a purse or briefcase and that piece must be stowed in the overhead compartment for the last hour of the flight; inspections of rest rooms may occur if a passenger remains too long or visits the rest room too often. Increased security on domestic flights was also addressed with full pat-downs, x-ray scanning of carry on luggage, and being restricted to one’s seat during hour flights. More than 500 canine teams are in place at selected U.S. airports. The TSA also reports it has met the deadline of screening 50 percent of passenger cargo and expects to screen all cargo by August 2010.

The TSA is years behind schedule on a plan to change the process of matching passengers’ names with the terror watch list, one of the most important recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. In the past, the airlines did the matching and the commission said they did not have instant access to the government’s most up-to-date lists. At present, l8 of the 80 commercial carriers have switched to matching with a government-run system, while 27 others are still testing it.

President Obama needs to order the Homeland Security Department and the Transportation Security Administration to conduct a joint review of The 9/11 Commission Report. Their task would be to meet all the specific recommendations that would insure airport – and shipping port – security from terrorism attacks as rapidly as possible. Funding should not be an issue since the Defense budget has been cut by billions originally slated for outmoded weapons systems. This security project should rank at the top of President Obama’s agenda when he delivers The State of The Union Address in January.

Joyce S. Anderson is the author of “Courage in High Heels,” “Flaw in the Tapestry,” “If Winter Comes” and “The Mermaids Singing.” She can be reached at JSAWrite@aol.com.