"These are extraordinary times for our country. We are confronting a historic economic crisis. We are fighing two wars. We face a range of challenges that will define the way Americans will live in the 21st century. There is no shortage of work to be done, or responsibilities to bear"(President Barack Obama). This was the opening to Obama's National Security Speech, just days after the attempted bombing on Christmas Day.

    Twenty three year old Umar Farouk, attending North West Airlines 253 attempted to try and hide plastic explosives in his underwear. He was known for preaching Islam growing up as a young man in Nigeria, Africa. Umar's father is one of the richest men in Africa. His Father alerted authorities that Umar had extreme religious views and is very dangerous. However, his warnings fell on deaf ears.

    When he tried to ignite the powder tied to his leg with a "chemical-filled syringe", he was tackled by a brave passenger. He told the authorities that the explosives were brought from Yemen. He also said that the orders were brought about by Al Qaeda. He also said that more plots were planned against us, and we are in danger.

    "National Security requires a delicate balance. Our Democracy depends on transparency, but some information must be protected from public disclosure for the sake of our security- for instance, the movements of our troops; our intelligence-gathering; or the information we have about terrorist organization band its affiliates. In these and other cases, lives are at stake" President Obama (National Security Speech).
  

    One question you probably have in mind is, "What are the new airline rules?" Well, one new regulation is that you are not aloud to leave your seat and hour before landing. Another is that you are not allowed to have anything in your lap such as a pillow or laptop. If you are carrying a carry on bag, this means that you will have a very lengthy security delay, which means you will need to come to the airport a lot earlier than your flight. Unfortunately, the airlines are not any more safe, because the human mind is so intricate and anything can be developed. Although, a new device which is a full body scanner has been invented. There are only a dozen so far, but more are being made as we speak. The scanner is said to have less radiation than a cell phone and is completely safe. Some people think that this is a violation of freedom and privacy.

      IHS senior Kate Graham stated, " No I dont think it is a violation of privacy; it's not like they physically undress you; they just see what you are carrying under your clothes with a mechanical device. It shows you in a more "X-ray" form. I think that a full body scanner is a great new addition for airline security”.