‘Tools more powerful than Facebook helped nab Headley’
January 4th, 2010 - 10:47 pm ICT by IANS
Washington, Jan 4 (IANS) Top-flight technology more sophisticated than Facebook and Google helped stop David Headley, charged with plotting 26/11 attacks, from carrying out more strikes, according to a top US official.
The US government’s counter-terrorism system is using top-flight technology, President Barack Obama’s Homeland Security and Counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan asserted Sunday on ABC, citing the Headley case.
“Well, in fact, we do have the sophistication and power of Facebook, and well beyond that,” he said when asked: “In the era of Google, why does the US intelligence community not have the sophistication and power of Facebook?”
“That’s why we were able to stop Najibullah Zazi, David Headley, other individuals from carrying out attacks, because we were able to do that on a regular basis,” Brennan said.
“In this one instance, the system didn’t work. There were some human errors; there were some lapses. We need to strengthen it,” Brennan said when asked about the apparent failure to predict the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a US airliner.
Headley, arrested in October, is charged with scouting targets for Mumbai terror attacks. Zazi, an Afghan citizen, was arrested in September 2009 for being part of a US Al Qaeda group accused of planning to carry out acts of terrorism against the US.
“Clearly, the system didn’t work on that day because (Nigerian suspect) Abdulmutallab should never have gotten onto that plane with those explosives. You know, every other day the system has worked so far this year. We’ve been able to thwart attempts by Mr. Najibullah Zazi, David Headley, and others,” Brennan said on an NBC talk show.
Asked how does this kind of thing happen despite multiple in-points into the system, he said: “I think that we have been to that place many times with the disruption of plots that are taking place every day, whether it’s overseas or here. Mr. Zazi, Mr. Headley, others, those dots did come to the surface.”
“What we need to do, though, is to be able to do that every day. But the system is working; it’s just not working as well as it needs to constantly.”
- US sharing PNR data with India - Dec 10, 2011
- Al Qaeda continues to plot from Pakistan: US - May 27, 2010
- Mumbai attack: Headley not proud, US cooperating with India (Lead) - May 27, 2011
- Pak-based Al-Qaeda leadership directed failed NY subway bombing - Jul 08, 2010
- Headley joined LeT to avenge Pakistan's 1971 dismemberment - May 24, 2011
- LeT has global ambitions, ready for mass killing: US - Jan 16, 2010
- More synergy developing between Al Qaeda and LeT, says US - Jul 01, 2010
- Pakistan's role in Mumbai attack may come out in Rana trial (Third Lead) - May 24, 2011
- Pakistani bomb-maker scoured New York for targets (Second Lead) - Apr 18, 2012
- New York terror suspect pleads guilty for plotting subway attack - Feb 23, 2010
- Rana worked with Headley every step of the way: Prosecution - Jun 08, 2011
- Pakistani bomb plotter eyed multiple targets in New York - Apr 18, 2012
- Pakistani bomb-maker eyed multiple targets in New York (Lead) - Apr 18, 2012
- Times Square case: Ex-American envoy underscores foreign connection in growing Pak threat - May 05, 2010
- 'Headley put his kids through military drills in Chicago park' - Nov 13, 2010
Tags: acts of terrorism, airliner, apparent failure, barack obama, christmas day, counter terrorism, david headley, disruption, facebook, flight technology, google, john brennan, lapses, nab, sophistication, technology president, terror attacks, top flight, us intelligence community, zazi