Christmas Day Airplane Terror Attempt Linked to Al-Qaeda - Updated

(Detroit, Michigan) On a Northwest Airlines flight from Nigeria today, passenger Abdul Mudallad claimed he was acting on orders from al-Qaeda when he tried to blow up the plane. (Update below: name now reported as Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab)

Passengers reportedly snuffed Mudallad's plans and the Airbus 330 landed safely at 11:51 AM EST. The flight plan was Nigeria to Detroit via Amsterdam.


Reportedly, the wannabe terrorist was carrying a mix of powder and liquid which somehow failed to explode when he tried to detonate.

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.

A witness said Mudallad was observed being transported from the airport. He was seen as "young-looking" and handcuffed to a stretcher. Bandages were on his hands. He is currently being treated at an Ann Arbor hospital.

The FBI, Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Administration and the White House have all become involved with the story. Inquiries are being directed to the FBI.

[Add.] Initial reports indicate that the plane carried 278 passengers.

[Add.] Another report says that Flight 253 was forced to land after 22-year-old Mudallad set off firecrackers on his lap, thereby explaining his injuries. It's also reported that Mudallad is said to be on terror watch lists and somehow was able to board a plane with firecrackers and an explosive. Questions need answering.

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[Update 12/26/09]
In a more thorough report, the terrorist is identified as Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian engineering student. Sources say Mutallab was a student at the University College London and he picked up his explosive device in Yemen. Reportedly, the device was strapped to his leg.

Witnesses described seeing the suspect using a syringe to inject one substance into another before flames erupted; it raised the prospect that terrorists have discovered a form of explosives that cannot be detected by current airport screening.

The suspect was on an intelligence database but was not on the government’s no-fly list, meaning he was known to authorities but not considered a high risk.

Mutallab received second-degree burns when he attempted to detonate. One passenger said it sounded like a firecracker in a pillowcase when he tried. (Pic from here.)