coming in at this moment about how the cia stopped an ambitious al qaeda plot to blow up a passenger jet bound for the united states. a u.s. counterterrorism official tells cnn the explosive device is similar to the one used by the would-be underwear bomber. you may recall that on christmas day 2009. just like that bomb, this one did not contain metal, which raises real questions about whether it could have gotten past airport security. as of yet, the person who had developed that bomb had not yet bought a ticket. here s defense secretary, leon panetta. what this incident makes clear is that this country has to continue to remain vigilant against those that would seek to attack this country and we will do everything necessary to keep america safe. fran townsend is cnn s national security contributor, a member of both the dhs and cia external advisory boards. chad sweet is a former dhs and cia official, also the cofounder of the chertoff group, a global security firm. good