Travel Restrictions

Last year Al-Qaeda nearly downed an airliner in Somalia using an explosive disguised as a laptop. This bomb got past X-ray machines and blew a gaping hole in the aircraft.

Al-Qaeda has been working for years to create sophisticated explosives that can target airplanes. It came as no surprise that last week the Department of Homeland Security announced new security restrictions on electronics on board certain U.S.-bound flights.

These new restrictions are deadly serious. Al-Qaeda has units deployed in places like Syria, Pakistan, and Turkey that are dedicated to planning attacks against the West. The hysteria around this announcement is purely political.

Everyone should be concerned about the growing threat from al-Qaeda. We must not allow politics to divide us in the face of a mortal enemy seeking to kill and injure as many Americans as possible.

I commend the Department of Homeland Security for responding to crucial intelligence and taking this step to protect the American people.

And that’s just the way it is.