Saturday, December 26, 2009

What Are The Odds. The Terrorist Is A Muslim.

 

Airline Bomb Attack Foiled Over Detroit Metro Airport

Updated: Friday, 25 Dec 2009, 11:38 PM EST
Published : Friday, 25 Dec 2009, 10:52 PM EST
MyFoxDetroit.com
DETROIT (AP) — A Northwest Airlines passenger from Nigeria, who said he was acting on al-Qaida's instructions, set off an explosive device Friday in a failed terrorist attack on the plane as it was landing in Detroit, federal officials said.
WATCH THE VIDEOS IN THE PLAYER TO GET A FULL REPORT FROM FOX 2'S ANDREA ISOM AND PASSENGER REACTION FROM SIMON SCHAYKET

Flight 253 with 278 passengers aboard was 20 minutes from the airport when it sounded like a firecracker had exploded, witnesses said. One passenger jumped over others and tried to subdue the man. Shortly 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, but were not specified.

Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab. Others had slightly different spellings.

One law enforcement source said the man claimed to have been instructed by al-Qaida to detonate the plane over U.S. soil.

"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."

At least one passenger acted heroically.

Smith said the passenger, sitting opposite the man, climbed over passengers, went across the aisle and tried to restrain the man. The heroic passenger appeared to have been burned.

The incident was reminiscent of convicted shoe bomber Richard Reid, who tried to destroy a trans-Atlantic flight in 2001 with explosives hidden in his shoes, but was subdued by other passengers. Reid is serving a life sentence.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., ranking GOP member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the flight began in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit.
King identified the suspect as 23-year-old Abdul Mudallah of Nigeria, and King said Mudallah "definitely has connections" to Al Qaeda.
King said Mudallah was not on any terrorism watchlist.
"This could have been catastrophic," said King, speaking to "FOX Report" Friday night. "We were lucky on this one."

A statement Delta, which acquired Northwest, said, "Upon approach to Detroit, a passenger caused a disturbance onboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253. The passenger was subdued immediately and the crew requested that law enforcement meet the flight upon arrival.

"The flight, operated by Northwest using an Airbus 330-300 aircraft with 278 passengers onboard, landed safely. The passenger was taken into custody and questioned by law enforcement authorities."

The FBI and the Homeland Security Department issued an intelligence note on Nov. 20 about the threat picture for the 2009 holiday season from Thanksgiving through Jan. 1. At the time, intelligence officials said they had no specific information about attack plans by al-Qaida or other terrorist groups. The intelligence note was obtained by The Associated Press.

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.

There was nothing out of the ordinary about Flight 253 on Friday until it was on final approach to Detroit, said Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory. That is when the pilot declared an emergency and landed without incident shortly thereafter, Cory said. The plane landed at 12:51 p.m. EST.

One U.S. intelligence official said the explosive device was a mix of powder and liquid. It failed when the passenger tried to detonate it.

The passenger was being questioned Friday evening. An intelligence source said the Nigerian passenger was being held and treated in an Ann Arbor, Mich., hospital.

All the sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing.

The official said an official determination of a terrorist act would have to come from the attorney general. The official added that additional security measures were being taken without raising the airline threat level, but declined to describe them.

The White House was coordinating briefings for the president through the Homeland Security Department, the Transportation Security Administration and the FBI.

A law enforcement source said the explosives may have been strapped to the man's body but investigators weren't immediately certain, partly because of the struggle with other passengers.

One passenger from the flight was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, hospital spokeswoman Tracy Justice said. She didn't know the person's condition, or whether the person was a man or woman. She referred all inquiries to the FBI.

Passenger Syed Jafri, a U.S. citizen who had flown from the United Arab Emirates, said the incident occurred during the plane's descent. Jafri said he was seated three rows behind the passenger and
said he saw a glow, and noticed a smoke smell. Then, he said, "a young man behind me jumped on him."

"Next thing you know, there was a lot of panic," he said.

Rich Griffith, a passenger from Pontiac, said he was seated too far in the back to see what had happened. But he said he didn't mind being detained on the plane for several hours. "It's frustrating if you don't want to keep your country safe," he said. "We can't have what's going on everywhere else happening here."

J.P. Karas, 55, of Wyandotte, Mich., said he was driving down a road near the airport and saw a Delta jet at the end of the runway, surrounded by police cars, an ambulance, a bus and some TV trucks.

"I don't ever recall seeing a plane on that runway ever before and I pass by there frequently," he said.

Karas said it was difficult to tell what was going on, but it looked like the front wheel was off the runway.

"We encourage those with future travel plans to stay in touch with their airline and to visit http://www.tsa.gov/ for updates," Homeland Security Department said in a statement.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been briefed on the incident and is closely monitoring the situation.

The department encouraged travelers to be observant and aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior to law enforcement officials.

8 comments:

  1. The Islamic terrorist are acting like it is the Clinton years again with all of these terror plots coming to fruition. Oh,I forgot we can't call them terrorist or bring up the fact that they are always Muslim. Now if it was a Christian the liberals would be going after us with guns blazing. This religion is the reason there are so many wars in this world. The liberals don't want us to say that but it is true and it is a large part of their religion. Islam is the enemy of all that are not muslim. In fact the muslims are even killing each other over their differences. It is the Islam way no matter what the liberals try to tell us. We need to fight these Muslim with everything we have. And Jesus gave us everything we need to win in the fight of the hate driven religion on Islam. Jesus gave us LOVE. We must Love them and hate the action but love the person. We must stand strong against the islamic terrorist. Lets stop trying to act like it isn't the religions fault but some peoples fault. Whole nations want us dead and you libs want us to act like it isn't the fault of the religion. Well it will be a cold day in hell when I let the liberals and Muslims tell me what I can and can't do or say. Politicaly correct is a thing of the past. We are going to call it as we see it and you on the left don't get to make the rules any more. We the people will. The majority of Americans are going to stand up for our beliefs and you can't tell us what we can and can't say with your "politicaly correct" BS.

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  2. Bet the ACLU had him "lawyered-up" before he was off the plane.

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  3. Passengers who acted so Bravely should be Honered for their BRAVERY but in some WAY will most likely by the LIBS be made out to be SAVAGES in the Way they Handled this Terrorist! Only Mistake made was Letting the A-Hole get off the Plane with his Carbon Foot Print!
    I still Believe that these New York City Circus Trials will INSURE a ONE TERM President! Politics Before Country now that VOTERS are AWAKE will bite the LIBS in there ASS in November!

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  4. What idiots you conservatives are. What about the years of war and terrorism in Northern Ireland. Wasn't that the fault of Christians and religion, no different than the Islamic fundamentalists that are using terrorism as a tactic? How many wars have been fought in the name of Christianity. I'm sure you condemn those wars, too, and the Christian terrorists, right, Al?

    No matter what you think, this guy deserves a trial in an American court of law. Given the facts that have come forward, it sounds like he'll be convicted.

    If he doesn't deserve a trial, then neither do the thousands of people that commit murder in our country, who are presumed innocent until proven guilty under the law. You remember the rule of law, right, Al and Chris?

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  5. Bruce Well there goes my Christmas!

    When YOU and YOUR LIB PALS Give BABYS the SAME rights as these A-Hole Terrorist Come back and we will Talk BUT you SAY one Kind of Murder for Convenience without a Trial is OK but Terrorist who COMMIT CRIMES Must be Accorded ALL Our Rights!
    Libs talk out of BOTH side of their MOUTHS but you FOUND another Place your ASS! What a Hypocrite!

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  6. Wow Bruce you fopund one war that is Christian and that is what you base your opinion? And we are the idiots? Why do you on the left want to act like Islam hasn't made Jihad with the West and Non Islamic nations? They are the ones saying they are at JIHAD with us. We aren't talking all mulims feel this way but in mass they have had whole Islamic nations vowed to do whatever it takes to push Islam throughout the world. To them that means treating all non muslims like cattle. Their words not mine. Bruce why do you bend over backwords to make it seem like they don't want to distroy us? Does it realy change things if we are at war with a religion? That religion is at war with us,Jihad. Or does that go against your liberal uncommon sense? How dumb can you be? If I was to say that you are my enemy and I will distroy you with malice would it be wise to denigh it ever happened and do nothing? That would be dumb. And if Islam is calling for a "Jihad" I would be dumb to not believe them. And your dumb theory that not all Muslims are terrorist thus it isn't Islam's war is outright retarded. America is at war with Afghaninstan but not all of our citizens are fighting the war. Are the terrorist saying they aren't at war with America? That would be dumb wouldn't it? I think you need to get some common sense or not say anything at all to show your ignorance of reality.

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  7. More of that ridiculous "two wrongs make a right" from EPIC FAILk. Bruce, are you saying that because Christians supposedly did it (and I don't see any proof of that in your oblivious blog, so we know you are making it up yet again) then we should just give a free pass to the muslims to declare war on us?!?! I guess I don't get your point Bruce, but then again, I'm not a F**KING idiot so it makes it hard to follow your inane rambling.

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  8. Obama didn't attend mosque this Christmas. So much for being so religious. I guess when he "denounced" his pastor of 20 years the radical racist Jeremiah Wright, he has had a tough time finding a church that fit his love of a hateful message. I guess he can pray to Allah in private, all he needs is a good prayer rug, right Bruce? Boy, you would think if Obama was a Christian, a Christmas service is one he would try to make. I guess God just isn't up there in importance for Obummer. Because he is a total liar and a typical Hypocrat.

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