A Nigerian engineering student at a British university, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, tried to blow up a transatlantic aircraft in a suspected al-Qaeda plot, it is claimed.
The 23-year-old attempted to ignite an explosive device strapped to his leg as a Northwest Airlines flight carrying 278 passengers and 11 crew came in to land in Detroit, according to US security officials.
He suffered second degree burns before being overpowered by other passengers including one who jumped on him and was also burned.
Mutallab, whom US security sources said was a student at University College London, claimed to have picked up his device in Yemen and to be an agent of al-Qaeda.
The White House said it believed it was an attempted act of terrorism, and that stricter security measures were quickly imposed on airline travel. It did not specify what those were.
President Barack Obama was notified of the incident and discussed it with security officials, the White House said. It said he is monitoring the situation and receiving regular updates from his vacation spot in Hawaii.
According to US intelligence officials, the explosive device was a mixture of powder and liquid.
[More]
Updates:
1:35 pm EST, December 26th, 2009 — Nigerian banker Umaru Mutallab says airline bomber may be his son
1:40 pm EST, December 26th, 2009 — Scotland Yard raids London addresses
Unfortunately, this type of terrorism was bound to happen now that the West and the U.S. in particular were sidetracked in their hunting & killing of the real enemy, Al Qaeda (where ever they are) by the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Lets hope someone has learned a lesson from this incident as more attacks will happen and may already by in the works.
The West must never let their guard down!
Muslims should be banned from air travel.
Our governments have become too PC to do anything about this “war”. Defend yourself as your government will not do it for you. Too chicken. We worry about how “detainees” are treated by their own countrymen. Jack! would sing a different tune if it was one of his own at risk.
And the immigration line extends off into the distance with more of these critters coming into Canada. Brilliant!!
One aim of this attempt has been achieved, disruption of air travel. Listen to all the complaints about increased searches, delays and questions.
At least they had some men with guts on the plane to tackle the terrorist.
Time to ban muslim immigration, visitors from any muslim country, or travel from Canada to any muslim country. Any Canadian going to a muslim country and being detained from returning home, leave them there.
There would be outcrys from the bleeding heart liberals/ndp but until those muslims living in the west start to co-operate and turn in hateful imans, neighbors, groups, they must be prepared for such action.
Subhuman. Take him out back and introduce his forehead to a Mr. 9mm.
On a clear day I can see Ottawa.
Another alternative would be to let the passengers decide his fate as he almost decided what theirs would be.
Just another misunderstood youth…?
Passengers on US planes will be required to stay in their seats for one hour prior to landing.
I say everyone should have to fly naked. A bonus to this would be the airlines would save money on food and beverages as no one would have any appetite.
mid island mike
I say everyone should have to fly naked.
Easy for you to say. You didn’t see the lady who was sitting in the 3 seats behind me on an Air Canada Flt from the Caribbean 2 weeks ago. Even worse, rumour on the plane had it that she had spent her vacation at a nude resort!!! No tan lines!!!!! Aaahhhhhhhhh!
They should build into the back of Airplanes a door that can open at 35 thousand feet so that while in flight they can eject trash like this guy Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab
Re: #13: Or have all the seats turned into ejection seats LOL Complain about anything ( bad service of awful meals ) and end up outside slowly floating down on your seat’s parachute down to the sea a thousand miles from land.
Just joking by the way.
BTDT: At least she wasn’t sitting beside you. Or reaching into the overhead storage above you. I can smile cause I don’t fly.
mid island mike