PresidentObamaisnotsayingwhatisinthepreliminaryreportfromJohnBrennan,hisassistantforhomelandsecurityandcounterterrorism.ButawrittenstatementfromthepresidentsayshehastalkedwithBrennanandwilldiscusstheissuewithotherU.S.intelligenceadvisersoverthenextfewdays.Thepresidentorderedareviewofintelligenceandtravelpoliciesafter23-year-oldUmarFaroukAbdulmutallabapparentlysmuggledexplosivesontoaNorthwestAirlinesflightfromAmsterdamtoDetroitonDecember25.Heallegedlytriedandfailedtosetofftheexplosives,whichwereconcealedonhisbody.Mr.ObamasayshealsospokewithHomelandSecuritySecretaryJanetNapolitanoonThursdaytohearaboutheragency'sreview.ThepresidentisonvacationinhishomestateofHawaii,andsayshewillmeetwiththeheadsofseveralhomelandsecurityagenciesonTuesday,afterhereturnstoWashington.Al-QaidaintheArabianPeninsula,whichisaffiliatedwithOsamabinLaden'sorganization,claimsitwasbehindtheattemptedbombing.ThefatherofthesuspecthadwarnedU.S.officialsinNigeriaabouthisson'sextremistviews.Thesuspect'snamewasplacedinaU.S.governmentdatabase,butnotonthelistthatwouldhavepreventedhimfromboardingtheplane.PresidentObamasaidonTuesdaythatsuchlapses（失误）cannotbeallowed."Whenourgovernmenthasinformationonaknownextremistandthatinformationisnotsharedandacteduponasitshouldhavebeenandthisextremistboardsaplanewithdangerousexplosivesthatcouldcostnearly300lives,asystemicfailurehasoccurred,"saidPresidentObama."AndIconsiderthattotallyunacceptable."Thepresidenthasdemanded（强烈要求）toknowwhytheU.S.intelligencecommunitydidnotpiecetogethertheinformationthatcouldhavekeptthesuspectofftheplane.ReportssayquestionsarebeingaimedattheNationalCounterterrorismCenter,theCIAandtheStateDepartment,amongotheragencies.Mr.ObamatoldreportersTuesdaythenation'sintelligencepracticesneedtobereformed（改良）immediately."Weneedtolearnfromthisepisodeandactquicklytofixtheflawsinoursystembecauseoursecurityisatstakeandlivesareatstake（危险）,"saidMr.Obama.ThepresidenthasalsoorderedaninvestigationofsecurityscreeningpracticesatU.S.airports.OfficialsinNigeriaandtheNetherlandsannouncedWednesdaytheywillbeginusingfull-bodyscannersonsomeflights.RepublicanshavecriticizedMr.Obamaforwaitingseveraldaysaftertheincidenttomakehisfirststatement.FormerVicePresidentDickCheneyaccusedthepresidentoftryingtopretendtheU.S.isnotatwarwithterrorists.WhiteHousecommunicationsdirectorDanPfeifferrespondedthatCheneywasinjectingpoliticsintowhattheadministrationistreatingasaterroristattack.
