LT, your post is exactly what went through my head on reading the article.
If I am missing something please correct me, but didn't the guy get on the VS flight in the US with the articles that he was arrested for. With all the b*ll**** that has been thrown about over the past couple of weeks, what possibly could the passenger have been carrying that would have passed through US security, yet led to his arrest in the UK.
For all the "willie waving" US security has been doing of late, coupled with some of their requests (toilet queues etc....), somebody has got egg on their face.