Intel chief faults questioning of bomb suspect

[toomuchtime_]

Another example of the Obama administration putting political considerations ahead of sound policy decisions.

The nation's top intelligence official says the Christmas Day airline bombing suspect should have been treated as a high-value terror suspect when the plane landed. That would have meant questioning by special interrogators rather than civilian law officers.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (OO'-mahr fah-ROOK' ahb-DOOL'-moo-TAH'-lahb) was interviewed by federal law enforcement investigators when Northwest Flight 253 landed in Detroit after he allegedly tried to detonate a homemade bomb sneaked through airport security in Nigeria and Amsterdam. Abdulmutallab is being held in a prison about 50 miles outside of Detroit.

Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told a Senate committee Wednesday that he was not consulted on whether Abdulmutallab should be questioned by the recently created High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group.

washingtonpost.com