Racial profiling of terrorists now futile

The recent attempted in-flight bomb attack by a Nigerian national means that racial profiling of terrorists based on previous cases cannot merely be restricted to Arab Muslims, but also African Muslims. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before Asian and Caucasian militants are employed to get past airport screening. Back in September, Pakistan reported encountering a village of white expat German radical Muslims near the Afghan border.

Update: In 2007, two members of a bomb plot in Germany were white German nationals who had converted to Islam. Combined with the potential from Indonesian Islamic militants, no race can be ruled out as a potential threat.

Countering the body cavity bomb

It turns out that recently a suicide bomber attacked a Saudi prince by hiding the bomb in an undignified body cavity. One potential technological countermeasure that could be adapted to airport security requirements: ultrasound scans to search for detonators.

Settling old scores

It's adding up to quite a month. In Somalia, US special forces killed a militant leader alleged to have been behind the 1998 embassy attacks in Kenya and Tanzania. Now, Indonesian police claim to have killed the alleged mastermind of the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings. Drone attacks on militant leaders continue in Pakistan. Are we seeing an escalation in targeted killing as a tactic?