According to Sunday's (Dec. 27th) tv news "interview" programs the list this guy was on numbers in excess of a half million. The "no fly" list is around 18,000 (if I recall the number correctly.) As a result of the improper listings on the "no fly" list there has, lately, been a higher level of "derogatory information" required for placement on the latter list. Evidently it was only because of a visit, from this guy's father, to the US Embassy in Lagos that this guy even got onto the larger terrorist watch list. As we all know, if I type a name into a computer, a match can be done against a half million names in less than 30 seconds. Obviously someone at the US Embassy in Lagos couldn't be bothered doing that simple task.
I fear the only outcome of this incident will be even more pointless "security theatre" at the airports and on the plane.
The following are video links to NBC's "Meet The Press" interview with the Secretary of Homeland Security:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/ns/meet_the_press