White House: No 'smoking gun' in hand to halt attack

Deputy National Security Adviser John Brennan said Sunday that the system did not work in halting Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab from attempting to bomb a U.S. airliner but said there was "no smoking gun" to halt the attack.

Brennan cited "lapses" and errors in the sharing of intelligence and clues about the Nigerian man accused in the foiled attempt.

"There is no smoking gun," Brennan said. "There was no single piece of intelligence that said, 'this guy is going to get on a plane.'"

Brennan is leading a White House review of the incident. Obama has said there was a systemic failure to prevent the attack, which he said was instigated by an affiliate in Yemen of the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

Abdulmutallab allegedly assembled an explosive device, including 80 grams of Pentrite, or PETN, in the aircraft toilet of a Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight, then planned to detonate it Christmas Day with a syringe of chemicals. Passengers intervened, and the plan failed.

"What we need to do as an intelligence community, as a government, is be able to bring those disparate bits and pieces of information together so we prevent Mr. Abdulmutallab from getting on the plane."

He said there "were no turf battles" between agencies. "There's no evidence whatsoever that any agency or department was reluctant to share" information.

Thomas Kean, former Republican governor of New Jersey and the former chairman of the 9/11 Commission said the administration has become distracted by its domestic agenda -- a reason, but not an excuse.

"...That's understandable. I mean, heaven's sakes, if you're in this huge health care fight and worried about the economy and global warming and all that sort of thing, that's what they were concentrating on. And I think they weren't giving this enough attention. It's understandable, but it's not acceptable," Kean said.

Kean said those involved in counterterrorism are good people in need for support and coordination. "The president needs to supply the leadership. And no matter what else is going on, this has always got to be number one," Kean said.

Among the issues involving aviation security has been the confirmation of Erroll Southers to head the Transportation Security Administration, the entity that handles airport security and the installation of explosive detection systems.

Brennan, speaking on Fox News Sunday, said there's no good reason to delay Senate confirmation of Southers. Brennan said the former FBI agent has satisfied the great majority of senators about misstatements he made regarding a personal matter from two decades ago.

Senate Commerce Aviation Operations Subcommittee ranking member Jim DeMint R-S.C., who's blocking the nomination, said he wants assurances Southers will not advocate unionizing TSA workers.

On CNN's State of the Union, DeMint said that he opposed provisions in the 2010 Homeland Security Department appropriations bill that would have placed explosive detection systems in the nation's airports because the legislation contained earmarks and wasteful spending.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., also said she backed the detection systems. "We have to continue to invest in the very best technology to keep the traveling public safe. But we also have to remember that we have to invest in the front-line soldiers," she said.

Brennan's comments came as the United States closed its embassy in Yemen, where the government believed attacks were imminent.

The Senate is set to hold hearings on the airliner plot on Jan. 21.