Obama Gets First Report on Detroit Terror Attempt

As a first step in his effort to overhaul intelligence practices, President Obama will today receive a preliminary report on how exactly the Detroit bombing suspect managed to board a US-bound plane, along with recommendations on how to prevent a sequel. The reams of intelligence data that were combed through for the report include conversations between Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and an al-Qaeda member that may have referred to the Detroit attack, AP reports.

The report, delivered to the president by homeland security and counterterrorism adviser John Brennan, is a first summary of the nation's efforts to track more than half a million potential terrorists. Administration officials say the existing counterterrorism system not only is deeply flawed but also wasn't followed in the Christmas Day terror attempt; the White House expects a more thorough investigation of the incident will take weeks to complete.