Well, given the current, thoroughly predictable ragegasm from the "I Just Wet My Pants" contingent over the latest terrorist hysteria, what have we here (all emphasis added):
While the British terror suspects were hatching their plot, the Bush administration was quietly seeking permission to divert $6 million that was supposed to be spent this year developing new homeland explosives detection technology.
Darn -- just the sort of thing that would be handy to, you know, detect explosives. But wait. It gets so much better:
The most frightening thing about the foiled plot to use liquid explosives to blow up airplanes over the Atlantic is that both the government and the aviation industry have been aware of the liquid bomb threat for years but have done little to prepare for it. What saved everyone was apparently superb intelligence work by the British, who apprehended the terrorists before they could carry out their scheme. It is unlikely that any of the scanning machines or screening personnel deployed at airports would have detected the potentially destructive materials before they could be carried aboard.
The Wankerville Department of Homeland Security: Protecting the general public, one terrorist tube of toothpaste at a time.
SNARK AT NO EXTRA CHARGE: Perhaps the funniest part of that NYT editorial is the following (emphasis added):
The plot apparently called for the terrorists to carry explosive ingredients disguised as beverages, and detonators made from common electronic devices like cellphones or music players. One theory is that they planned to use chemicals that are innocuous when carried separately but could be combined into an explosive mixture on board.
By God -- using ingredients that, separately, are completely harmless and only turn into a lethal explosive when mixed. Those tricky, tricky bastards. So how would one properly dispose of such dangerous chemicals in a crowded airport terminal building?
At this point, snark just plain eludes me.