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Barack Obama agreed this week that US security systems had failed over the attempted Christmas day bombing, and told the intelligence agencies to do better. The president's critics were not satisfied, continuing to claim that the president was slow to respond and is soft on terrorists. Mr Obama should have spoken more promptly, but that bigger charge is exaggerated and irresponsible.

The case of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab does point to systemic flaws. Famously, some of the 9/11 bombers were known to the authorities before the attack. Likewise, information about Mr Abdulmutallab was to hand but not acted on. Eight years later, as Mr Obama said, that is unacceptable.