The title might be a little simplistic, but it makes a good headline: Bureaucracy impedes bomb-detection work.
The lead seems even more blatant: "As the British terror plot was unfolding, the Bush administration quietly tried to take away $6 million that was supposed to be spent this year developing new explosives detection technology."
The middle says: "Homeland Security is spending a total of $732 million this year on various explosives deterrents. It has tested several commercial liquid explosive detectors over the past few years but hasn't been satisfied enough with the results to deploy them."
If you make it to the end of the article you get to: "The administration's most recent budget request also mystified lawmakers. It asked to take $6 million from the Sciences & Technology Directorate's 2006 budget that was supposed to be used to develop explosives detection technology and divert it to cover a budget shortfall in the Federal Protective Service, which provides security around government buildings."
So it's just impossible for the reader to know if it was a truly stupid decision or merely efficient budgeting.
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