Is anyone really surprised to discover that Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, the 23-year-old Detroit bomber, was involved in radical Islamic politics while a student in London? For the sad truth is that we now live in a country where we appear to be more concerned with defending the rights of radical extremists to express themselves than protecting the rights of ordinary, law-abiding citizens to live in peace and security.

They seem to have a variety of issues these days ...