"Two things leapt to mind as I read the opening: 1) Just why is it important that the White House called it terrorism? Is the subtext that President Obama is somehow "tough" on terrorism? Would it matter if the reporter's Aunt Mame defined it for us? Isn't any reader with a sixth-grade education, the target reading level of American newspapers, able to figure that out for him/herself? But now we know what to think, because Obama told us so. 2) It's an "attempted" act of terrorism. No terrorism here, folks. Yes, "several of the 278 passengers receiv[ed] minor injuries," and there will no doubt be counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder. But maybe just the knowledge that it was simply "attempted" terrorism will be comfort enough to all those aboard Flight 253.
No matter how explicit the terrorists try to make their motivations, the experts are quick to discount them:"
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