Posted on 12/26/2009 12:44:44 AM PST by bd476
Voice of America News
US Calls Explosion on Airplane 'Attempted Act of Terrorism'
The United States is increasing security for air travel across the country after a Nigerian man set off a small explosion aboard a flight bound for the U.S. city of Detroit. White House officials are calling it "an attempted act of terrorism."
Jeff Seldin | Washington
26 December 2009
The United States is increasing security for air travel across the country after a Nigerian man set off a small explosion aboard a flight bound for the U.S. city of Detroit. White House officials are calling it "an attempted act of terrorism."
The incident happened just about twenty minutes before Northwest Airlines Flight 253, flying from Amsterdam, landed in Detroit.
"We heard a loud pop and a bit of smoke and then some flames, and then yelling and screaming," one passenger said.
"It was scary," said another. "It was a loud firecracker that went off, and there was a fire in the plane after a few seconds. It was very scary for everyone," the passenger said.
One passenger immediately sprang into action when it appeared something was wrong.
"There was one guy who sat on the other side, on the right side of the wing," recounted a passenger who observed the heroic act. "This was on the left side of the wing. He jumped over all the other people and he took care of it, so the fire went out."
No one was injured and once the plane landed the suspect was taken into custody.
U.S. counterterrorism officials say he is a 23-year-old Nigerian named Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab and that he was trying to blow up the plane. They also say his name does appear on a U.S. intelligence watch list, but not on a no-fly list that would have prevented him from boarding the flight.
Mutallab suffered third-degree burns, but still managed to tell investigators he was acting on behalf of al-Qaida. Those claims have yet to be confirmed.
"We have real concerns here, because we know that Nigeria is a source of terrorist activity, al-Qaida connected activity," said New York Congressman Peter King, a ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Committee.
The Republican congressman said critical questions will have to be answered, and answered quickly.
"How he was able to get on in Nigeria, what happened in Amsterdam, which is a visa waiver country, how he was able to get through and make it this far with the devices he had, these are all issues that have to be resolved."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says additional security measures are being put into place for all flights, and is encouraging passengers to be observant and report any suspicious activity.
IntelCenter, a U.S.-based terrorism monitoring group that works with the U.S. government, says the incident appears to be a serious attempt against the United States, with connections to Yemen and Nigeria. It also says the possibility of additional attempts over the next day or two cannot be ruled out.
CIA World Fact Book
Nigeria
Population: 149,229,090
country comparison to the world: 8
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.5% (male 31,624,050/female 30,242,637)
15-64 years: 55.5% (male 42,240,641/female 40,566,672)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 2,211,840/female 2,343,250) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 19 years
male: 18.9 years
female: 19.1 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.999% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
Birth rate:
36.65 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Death rate:
16.56 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
Net migration rate:
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Urbanization:
urban population: 48% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 94.35 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 13
male: 100.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 87.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.94 years
country comparison to the world: 212
male: 46.16 years
female: 47.76 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.91 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2.6 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
170,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria and yellow fever respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease:
one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever water contact disease: leptospirosis and shistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Nigerian(s)
adjective: Nigerian
Ethnic groups:
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
Religions:
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Languages:
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 68%
male: 75.7%
female: 60.6% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male: 9 years
female: 7 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (1991)
ban ALL MUSLIMS from ALL U.S. carrier aircraft
100%
Yeah, but remember not all brown folk are muslims, and not all muslims are brown.
What am I supposed to be looking for in your post?
Yeah, but remember not all brown folk are muslims, and not all muslims are brown.
Your question is too broad. Please be more specific.
Seems to me it was quite successful in flooding news sources and the minds of present and future airline travelers. It was an attempted act of blowing up an aircraft, I'll give it that. Regardless of the success or failure of blowing up the aircraft, it succeeded in terrorizing and should thus be addressed and dealt with. It should not be downplayed as being merely "attempted".
Wouldn’t that be an attempted act of human caused disaster in Obama speak?
Yeah?
So when is 0bozo going to call the real Islamic terrorism a Fort Hood that left so many Americans dead as “terrorism” then?
Excellent question. When you find an answer, please explain another one:
Alleged as it applies to:
1. bank-robber; criminal; murderer; rapist; drunk; President
2. Victim;
LOL! Bingo!
Probably not until and only if it becomes politically expedient for him to do so.
This is why bacon testing must be included with the pre boarding security screening.
“The incident happened just about twenty minutes before Northwest Airlines Flight 253, flying from Amsterdam, landed in Detroit.”
He obviously hadn’t done his homework if he was trying to do damage to Detroit.
Obama stopped a terror attack. That is at least one good thing he should legitimately be able to brag about. Not much else is there.
Security didn't stop this guy... have they EVER stopped a terrorist? Seems airport security is primarily there to stop American businessmen and grandmothers from taking shampoo on board.
Safety was provided by a fellow citizens - on board. Train citizens - make on=board instructions available to passengers... that's what should be beefed up.
This is an act of terrorism, to which I agree. But the shootings at Ft. Hood are not. Go figure.
How about.. FELLOW PASSENGERS stopped a terror attack.
Oh I know it was fellow passengers, but Obama can brag that he stopped a terror attack or at least he will.
Lol. Bonus... thatd also screen out the eco terrorists...
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