Recently, two parcels that were bound for U.S. destinations were discovered to contain deadly explosive materials. One of the packages was found in the United Kingdom, while the other was discovered in the United Arab Emirates. Addressed to two Jewish Synagogues in Chicago, these bombs could have caused many deaths had they reached their targets (the chemical used in the bombs was PETN, a compound with lethal explosive properties). Fortunately, these bombs never made it off the ground; security officials were able to stop the packages from being FedEx-ed to their destinations. U.S. officials believe that the bombs came from Yemen and were created by al Qaeda.
The discovery of these packages has led to careful scrutinization of parcels in cargo aircraft and delivery trucks across the nation. Currently, a woman who is believed to have played a role in sending the packages has been arrested in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. Officials are still unsure about the masterminds behind this plot, but they are quite certain that they are affiliated with al Qaeda, which is based in Yemen. As of this Friday, packages originating from Yemen and the UK are not allowed to be sent outside the two countries.
The discovery of these packages has led to careful scrutinization of parcels in cargo aircraft and delivery trucks across the nation. Currently, a woman who is believed to have played a role in sending the packages has been arrested in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. Officials are still unsure about the masterminds behind this plot, but they are quite certain that they are affiliated with al Qaeda, which is based in Yemen. As of this Friday, packages originating from Yemen and the UK are not allowed to be sent outside the two countries.
Although I believe in individuals having the right to privacy when sending mail and parcels, there HAS to be something done to protect people from being potentially killed. Because Yemen is a hotbed of al Qaeda activities, the postal services in Yemen should increase their inspections of suspicious packages to prevent any further deadly items from being sent to their intended destinations.
1 comment:
I think that after this scare, the authorities do have the justification to scrutinize mail coming from Yemen, and I think it's something that should be allowed. I think it's very good that the UK police were 1) able to find the first bomb in just a routine check and 2) send out an alert to the rest of the world that resulted in the catching of another bomb. I think it's amazing these bombs were caught and I think it serves as a good reminder that authorities still need to be on guard about these kind of things.
I think it's always tricky when this kind of thing comes up because of the national security vs. freedom to privacy debate. Personally, I am always inclined to let people have the right to privacy and that we shouldn't jump to conclusions or generalize a whole population because of a select few. But in this instance, I think because Yemen is a notorious al Qaeda hotspot, we have to be more careful. If it means saving the lives of many then I think it's alright to invade privacy. I am impressed, however, with the response time to this scare and how well the police managed to stop this. However, I think as an extra precaution, all mail from Yemen should be scrutinized.
-Alice Bebbington
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