December 26, 200916 yr Al Qaeda suspect who tried to blow up U.S. passenger jet went to university in London By Mail Foreign Service Last updated at 8:27 AM on 26th December 2009 Comments (30) Add to My Stories A suspected Al Qaeda terrorist who tried to set off an explosive device aboard a U.S. passenger plane on Christmas Day has links to a London university, it was revealed today. Federal officials reportedly identified the suspect as 23-year-old Nigerian Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, an engineering student at University College London. He tried to ignite the device on board the Delta Air Line flight from Amsterdam as it came in to land at Detroit Metropolitan Airport yesterday afternoon, but he was overpowered by passengers and crew. Enlarge The terror suspect attempted to bring down the Delta Airlines flight as itr was coming in to land The plane landed safely and Abdulmutallab, who suffered extensive burns, was taken into custody. The passengers, two of whom suffered minor injuries, disembarked safely from the plane. A White House official said: 'We believe this was an attempted act of terrorism.' President Barack Obama is said to be 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'. He told Fox News: 'When it did go off, he himself was seriously injured. He has third-degree burns. (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. Enlarge Security personnel at the bottom of the stairs of the Northwest Airlines Flight 253 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 burned. His entire leg was burned. 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 burned 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. Enlarge Passengers from the flight leave the Detroit terminal last night But NBC 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 traveling public on domestic and international flights,' said spokeswoman Sara Kuban. 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 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. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1238418/Terror-alert-passenger-sets-crackers-Detroit-flight.html#ixzz0amwpwnKK
December 26, 200916 yr OMG BRITAIN IS BOMBING AMERICA What a fucking horrible, hate-inspiring news article It doesn't matter where he went to University.
December 26, 200916 yr We should invade Mongolia now to stop the spread of British educated terrorist.
December 26, 200916 yr Author Scotland Yard raids London addresses after Al Qaeda suspect tries to blow up U.S. passenger jet By Mail Foreign Service Last updated at 5:49 PM on 26th December 2009 Comments (189) Add to My Stories Searches are being carried out in central London after a man with suspected links to al Qaeda allegedly tried to blow up a transatlantic plane, Scotland Yard said today. Security has been stepped up at UK airports for passengers flying to the US, the Department for Transport said. The Nigerian suspect was tackled by fellow passengers as he attempted to detonate a powdery substance on a flight from Amsterdam as it prepared to land at Detroit with 278 people on board. US law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. The 23-year-old was an engineering student at University College London. Enlarge A Nigerian man was tackled by fellow passengers as he attempted to detonate a powdery substance on a trans-Atlantic flight as it prepared to land at Detroit. Local police are pictured taking the suspect off the plane Enlarge A forensics officer is seen through a window in a building in Mansfield Street, London Enlarge Police enter via a back door at a building in Mansfield Street, London, as Scotland Yard announced that searches are being carried out in central London after a man with suspected links to al Qaeda allegedly tried to blow up a transatlantic plane The commotion began as Northwest Airlines Flight 253, carrying 278 passengers and 11 crew members prepared to land in Detroit just before noon on Friday. Travelers said they smelled smoke, saw a glow, and heard what sounded like firecrackers. 'It sounded like a firecracker in a pillowcase,' said Peter Smith, a passenger from the Netherlands. 'First there was a pop, and then (there) was smoke.' More... Passenger jet bomb 'plot': Passengers praise BA for terror alert text messages Smith said one passenger, sitting opposite the man, climbed over passengers, went across the aisle and tried to restrain the man, who officials say was trying to ignite an explosive device. The heroic passenger appeared to have been burned. Afterward, the suspect was taken to a front-row seat with his pants cut off and his legs burned. The White House said it believed it was an attempted act of terrorism and stricter security measures were quickly imposed on airline travel. Dutch anti-terrorism authorities said the U.S. has asked all airlines to take extra precautions on flights worldwide that are bound for the United States. Enlarge Enlarge Search: Police at the door of a property linked to the man suspected of trying to detonate a bomb on a US jet Enlarge Security alert: A man with suspected links to Al Qaeda allegedly tried to blow up a plane as it prepared to land in Detroit A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard said: 'We are in liaison with the US authorities. 'Searches are being carried out at addresses in central London.' She refused to give further details. It is understood from security sources that police and MI5 will want to see 'as a matter of priority' the significance of any time that he spent in the UK. It is also understood that extra staff and resources have been assigned to the investigation as a matter of urgency. One of the key priorities will be to check whether he has cropped up in the course of any other investigations. A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: 'In response to events in Detroit the US authorities have requested additional measures for US-bound flights. 'We are monitoring the situation and will make any assessments as necessary as this develops.' Although general airport security remains the same, with no change to luggage and liquid restrictions, passengers travelling to the US can expect increased searches at the gate before boarding. Enlarge Personnel swarm around Northwest Airlines Flight 253 after a Nigerian suspect allegedly tried to detonate a powdery substance Airport operator BAA said in a statement: 'Passengers travelling to the United States should expect their airline to carry out additional security checks prior to boarding. 'To support this important process, which will take time, we would advise passengers to leave more time to check in and limit the amount of baggage being taken on board the aircraft. 'If in any doubt, please contact the relevant airline for further information.' The suspect boarded in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit, Peter King, the ranking Republican member of the House Homeland Security Committee, told CNN. A spokeswoman for police at the Schiphol airport in Amsterdam declined comment about the case or about security procedures at the airport for Flight 253. Dutch airline KLM says the connection in Amsterdam from Lagos, Nigeria, to Detroit involves a change in carrier and a change in aircraft. Schiphol airport, one of Europe's busiest with a heavy load of transit passengers from Africa and Asia to North America, strictly enforces European security regulations including only allowing small amounts of liquid in hand luggage that must be placed inside clear plastic bags. The US government has tightened airport screening measures as a result of the incident, which is reminiscent of a terror attempt by 'shoe bomber' Richard Reid. A police officer outside a London property linked to the former student named in connection with the alleged bomb attack The Briton tried to destroy a transatlantic flight in 2001 with explosives hidden in his shoes. He was subdued by other passengers and is serving a life sentence in the US. A US law enforcement source said Mutallab's name surfaced on at least one US intelligence database but not to the extent that he was placed on a watch list or a no-fly list. US sources also claimed the man claimed to have been instructed by al Qaeda to detonate the plane over US soil. But other law enforcement officials said this could not be immediately verified and the man may have been acting independently. The man was being treated in an Ann Arbor, Michigan, hospital. The White House said President Barack Obama discussed the incident with security officials and was monitoring the situation from his holiday spot in Hawaii. The Homeland Security Department encouraged travellers to be observant and aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behaviour. Terrorism expert Dr Sally Leivesley told BBC News: 'This looks as though it is a first attempt of a new way to use the body to conceal explosives. Enlarge Warm welcome: Zan Jafry (left) helps his father Syed Jafry with his coat after he disembarked the plane 'In the past it was a can of liquid explosive. 'Now they may be concealing the explosives on the human body, but on the inside upper leg, and we only know this by seeing a very badly burnt leg on the suspected perpetrator.' She said the suspect may have used a syringe to conceal a chemical used for detonation. Aviation expert Chris Yates told BBC News: 'Security is not 100% at airports anywhere in the world, that's been shown time and time again. The security processes are relatively robust but we can't head off every single threat. 'Why did this individual not get a second screening having come off a flight from Nigeria apparently? 'He should have, if he had been monitored by the intelligence services, he should have been identified as a person who they have an interest in.' A police van was parked on Mansfield Street, W1, about half a mile from the main UCL campus. A crowd of journalists gathered outside No 2, which appeared to be the entry to a block of residential premises. The grandiose building had a blue English Heritage plaque on the wall at the front stating that philanthropist Sir Robert Mayer once lived in the building. Enlarge Security alert: Police patrol the airport following the attempted attack Police officers were seen entering and leaving the premises. A woman who lives in the apartment, who did not want to be named, said she had seen the family who lived at the address where the police are carrying out their searches, but that they did not spend much of their time in the flat. The woman, who said she was a carer for another lady who lives in the apartment, said: 'They are not always there, they only come when it is school holidays, they don't really stay there.' She said she believed this was because at least one of them was a college student. She continued: 'Most of the people in these apartments have got houses in the country so most of them are empty.' The white walled seven-storey building, which has a porter who was not allowing journalists access inside, is within a short distance of Oxford Circus. It is understood the three-bedroom flat being searched is on the second floor, and is rented. The student accused of trying to blow up a transatlantic jet may have been an 'opportunist' like shoe-bomber Richard Reid, a terror expert said today. Enlarge Murtala Mohammed airport is seen from a bridge in Lagos, Nigeria, where the suspect started his journey Enlarge Security workers leave Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands on Saturday Londoner Reid, an al Qaeda supporter, was jailed for life for attempting to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight in 2001 with explosives hidden in his footwear. Evidence surrounding the terror suspect drew 'obvious parallels' with Reid, said Professor Paul Wilkinson, a terror specialist at St Andrews University. He said: 'On the strength of the evidence I have seen, there is nothing to suggest this suspect was particularly advanced. 'If this was al Qaeda related, he was probably given some instruction or device and told to take the chance when he could. 'AQ's modus operandi is that they operate on all sorts of different levels. This particular case reminds me of Richard Reid, the shoe-bomber. 'The fact he has managed to get his leg on fire after getting through security is surprising. 'Big questions will have to be asked about airport security if this was a sophisticated device but as it stands I think this was more likely to be opportunist.' A student bearing the same name as the suspect held in the plane bombing probe in the US was enrolled on a mechanical engineering course at the University College London, the institution confirmed today. The 23-year-old - named by the university as Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab - apparently studied there from 2005 to 2008. A spokesman for the college said: 'Media outlets are suggesting several different names for the man arrested in connection with an attempted act of terrorism on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 in the early hours of December 26th. 'UCL can confirm that a student by the name of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was enrolled on a Mechanical Engineering course at the institution between September 2005 and June 2008. 'However, it must be stressed that the university has no evidence that this is the same person currently being referred to in the media. 'Until the situation becomes clearer, UCL will not be making any further comment.' Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1238418/Scotland-Yard-raids-London-addresses-Al-Qaeda-suspect-tries-blow-U-S-passenger-jet.html#ixzz0aosK4EL5
December 27, 200916 yr Airport security is worthless. It's just an annoying kabuki theater to make passengers feel like the government cares about their safety, enough to strip-search you and break all your stuff.
December 27, 200916 yr another 1p rise in the rate of income tax to pay for this one, I think. :dozey:
December 27, 200916 yr another 1p rise in the rate of income tax to pay for this one, I think. :dozey: 3p just to be safe.
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