“Ultimately, the buck stops with me.”

The failure by security officials to “connect the dots” and stop a man carrying explosives onto a U.S.-bound plane on Christmas Day is ultimately his responsibility, said President Barack Obama on Thursday. “As President, I have a solemn responsibility to protect our nation and our people, and when the system fails, it is my responsibility.” He further said that he wants to have clearer lines of responsibility within the intelligence community for pursuing leads on potential security threats. Some Republican critics have called for the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. On Wednesday, a U.S. grand jury indicted Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on six charges, including attempted murder and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.

CBC