allardjd 1,853 Posted December 26, 2009 Report Share Posted December 26, 2009 A Nigerian passenger, alledly linked to al quaeda, set off an explosive device that appears to have been concealed in his trouser legs as the aircraft approached Detroit on Friday. The bomb failed but burned him severely. He was restrained by passengers and is in custody. The plane landed safely. It was NorthWest Airlines flight 253, originating in Nigeria with a stop in Amsterdam. The article does not state the type of aircraft. There were nealy 300 passengers aboard, so obviously nothing small. "Law enforcement officials identified the suspect in Friday's attempted attack as Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab. One law enforcement official said the man claimed to have been instructed by al-Qaida to detonate the plane over U.S. soil." "...while he was leaving the plane, he looked at where the man had been sitting and saw a pillow that seemed to have been burned. Melinda Dennis, who was seated in the front row of the plane, said the man involved was brought to the front row and seated near her. She said his legs appeared to be badly burned and his pants were cut off. She said he was taken off the plane handcuffed to a stretcher. http://my.earthlink.net/article/us?guid=20091225/de72c75e-f023-4fcf-a96d-ed1ebb4d7e94 They're still at it, of course. This was a serious act of terrorism and seems to have failed only because the device did not explode properly. It also seems as if whoever was behind it wanted it to become known after the fact that it was an act of terrorism - the instructions to take out the aircraft over US territory after coming all the way from Nigeria can only mean that they wanted the cause able to be determined after the fact. An over-water detonation would make the ability to make that determination more difficult and less likely. I trust the bomber's injuries are painful but not life threatening. Perhaps Richard Reid might like a room mate after the trial is over. I presume the attempted murderer boarded in Nigeria, not Amsterdam, but the article does not say so. Someone there should have some tough questions to answer about airport security, but I expect it will be glossed over. John Link to post Share on other sites
rob16584 42 Posted December 26, 2009 Report Share Posted December 26, 2009 That's quite shocking, but excellent news that the guy was restrained without setting the device off. The device must have been very well hidden to get through airport security the way things are at the moment Link to post Share on other sites
mutley 4,487 Posted December 26, 2009 Report Share Posted December 26, 2009 DETROIT (Reuters) - A Nigerian man linked to al Qaeda tried to set off an explosive device aboard a U.S. passenger plane as it approached Detroit on Friday, but was overpowered by passengers and crew and the aircraft landed safely, officials said. The suspect suffered extensive burns and was taken into custody. The passengers, two of whom suffered minor injuries, disembarked safely from the Delta Air Lines plane, which had departed from Amsterdam. "We believe this was an attempted act of terrorism," a White House official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. President Barack Obama is on vacation in Hawaii and was monitoring the situation after conferring with Homeland Security and National Security Council officials. Representative Peter King of New York, the senior Republican on the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, said the explosive device was "fairly sophisticated," and the suspect was a 23-year-old Nigerian. Federal officials identified the man as Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, according to The New York Times and the Washington Post. ABC News and NBC News reported that he attends University College London, where he studied engineering. Abdulmutallab tried to ignite the device or mixture as the aircraft was approaching Detroit. "When it did go off, he himself was seriously injured. He has third-degree burns," King told Fox News. ... (The device) "appears to be different from what we've encountered before." King told CNN the suspect "did appear in a database as far as having a terrorist connection. ... My understanding is ... that he does have al Qaeda connections, certainly extremist terrorist connections, and his name popped up pretty quickly" in a search of intelligence data bases. SUSPECT BADLY Burnt The suspect was not on a "no-fly" list, which might have kept him off the plane, but his name was in a database indicating "a significant terrorist connection," King said. "He was severely burnt. His entire leg was burnt. They required a fire extinguisher as well as water to put it out," passenger Melinda Dennis told NBC News. "You could smell the smoke when we landed. You could smell the scent of something being burnt when we landed." Another passenger, Richelle Keepman, said the incident was "terrifying." "I thought -- I think we all thought we weren't going to land, we weren't going to make it," Keepman told NBC. Once on the ground, the aircraft was moved to a remote area at Detroit's airport where all baggage was being rescreened, said the Transportation Security Administration. Citing unnamed U.S. officials, the Wall Street Journal said the Nigerian had told investigators al Qaeda operatives in Yemen had given him the device and instructions on how to detonate it. But NBC, citing anti-terrorism officials, said he "claims to have been acting on his own." The aircraft, Northwest Airlines flight 253, was an Airbus 330 carrying 278 passengers. Delta Air Lines has taken over Northwest. The incident on the Christmas holiday occurred during one of the busiest times of the year for air travel. King said the suspect started his journey in Nigeria. "How sophisticated he was, I don't know," he said. "But again, it was a fairly sophisticated device. I would say we dropped the ball on this one." The Department of Homeland Security said enhanced security measures had been put into effect. "Passengers may notice additional screening measures put into place to ensure the safety of the travelling public on domestic and international flights," said spokeswoman Sara Kuban. PART OF A LARGER PLOT? King said investigators were looking into whether the incident was part of a larger plot. There is a "world-wide alert to make sure this is not part of a larger overall scheme," he said. The New York Times, citing a senior Homeland Security official, said the device "was made from a mixture of powder and liquid" and was "more incendiary than explosive." The official said Abdulmutallab told law enforcement authorities he had explosive powder taped to his leg and used a syringe filled with chemicals to mix with the powder in an attempt to cause an explosion." The attempt appeared similar to one eight years ago when a British-born man, Richard Reid, tried but failed to blow up a trans-Atlantic jumbo jet by lighting explosives stuffed into his shoes. Reid, a follower of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison. It also is the latest in a string of terrorism-related plots in the United States over the past few months, including one in which an Afghan-born man was arrested in September on charges he planned to set off bombs in the United States. Link to post Share on other sites
allardjd 1,853 Posted December 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2009 Father of Detroit would-be plane bomber warned US "...the Nigerian man charged with trying to destroy a jetliner came to the attention of U.S. intelligence in November when his father went to the U.S. embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, to express his concerns about his son." Link to post Share on other sites
allardjd 1,853 Posted February 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 The little worm just got handed a life sentence. Since it's not going to be served in Scotland he may even have to serve the whole thing. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/16/underwear-bomber-to-be-sentenced-in-thwarted-terror-plot/ John Link to post Share on other sites
needles 1,010 Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 Jeez, that was a close call to say the least John. Glad everyone got down safely. I do not include the terrorist in that remark btw. A life sentence. All very well but it's the American taxpaying citizens that have to pay for his stay. That's wrong. I apologize for the misguided decision made by the Scottish Executive regarding you know who, but I'm of the belief they were guided to their decision by numpties further south. IMO. Just relieved that the decent folk on that flight got down safely. Link to post Share on other sites
allardjd 1,853 Posted February 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 Brian, I don't paint the citizens of Scotland with the same brush as the government officials involved in the "humanitarian" release of the Libyan terrorist. Scots are good folks and shouldn't be blamed for what happened. John Link to post Share on other sites
ddavid 149 Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 John, if you've time, why not read Paul Foot's account of the Lockarbie affair - it's in John Pilger's book called "Tell Me No Lies: Investigative Journalism and Its Triumphs" - well worth it! Cheers - Dai. Link to post Share on other sites
SEATAC 400 Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 "Once on the ground, the aircraft was moved to a remote area at Detroit's airport where all baggage was being rescreened, said the Transportation Security Administration" That makes a lot of sense. Screen the baggage after the plane lands and it's being unloaded. Besides, the device was in his pants, not in his bag. I realize they are being cautious, as there supposedly could be something in a checked bag, but they're supposed to catch this stuff before it gets on the plane. Not after it lands. Link to post Share on other sites
allardjd 1,853 Posted February 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 Even though he originally boarded in Lagos, Nigeria, the Dutch had major egg on their face over this. At the stopever in Amsterdam the pax left the plane and were re-screened as they re-boarded. One can understand that secuity in Lagos may be less than world-class, but Amsterdam? Anyway, they missed his incendiary unmentionables there too. As for the TSA, don't get me started - government run amuck, doing all the wrong things in the wrong way at an exhorbitant cost. Their leader is a political hack and a fool. John Link to post Share on other sites
aeromax 10 Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 Incredibly underwear.... ! and also good news, & at least nothing more hires!!. Link to post Share on other sites
allardjd 1,853 Posted October 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2017 http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/10/22/underwear-bomber-sues-doj-claims-prison-officials-violate-rights-supermax-prison/ I'm dredging up this old link with a current news article. It appears the little worm is unhappy with his treatment at the Federal Supermax prison in Colorado. Schadenfreude - yeah, I guess so. No use me denying it, is there? John Link to post Share on other sites
brett 2,285 Posted October 23, 2017 Report Share Posted October 23, 2017 He tried to take down a plane with many passengers on it, if you ask me he should have gotten the death penalty. I find it funny that he still has more rights then I did while in the service. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Coffee 2,030 Posted October 23, 2017 Report Share Posted October 23, 2017 (edited) The appropriate response to this guy's capture should have been to put an Iron Bell over him and his underwear bomb...and let Bomb Squad/EOD detonate it. Edited October 23, 2017 by Captain Coffee 1 Link to post Share on other sites
J G 927 Posted October 24, 2017 Report Share Posted October 24, 2017 Personally I hope his bollocks were severely burned in the original incident. I don't subscribe to the death penalty, but as for him whinging about his rights, as far as I am concerned he forfeited all rights except to that of life the moment he tried to kill the passengers on the aircraft. With any luck his burns still hurt. If he believes in God, then he still has a lot of burning to do. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
allardjd 1,853 Posted October 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2017 On 10/24/2017 at 08:43, J G said: If he believes in God, then he still has a lot of burning to do. ...and maybe even if he doesn't believe. Not sure that has anything to do with avoiding the ultimate consequences of his actions. John Link to post Share on other sites
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