so now, to over compensate, he'll tighten security by searching even more white geriatric passengers... right???
Posted on 12/26/2009 7:45:24 AM PST by Presbyterian Reporter
Father reported him to US Authorities six months ago
The young man, who yesterday night attempted to ignite an explosive device aboard a Delta Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan in the United States has been identified as Abdul Farouk Umar Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old son of Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, former First Bank chairman. Mutallab, a former minister and prominent banker recently retired from the bank's board.
The older Mutallab, as at the time of filing this report, had just left his Katsina hometown for Abuja to speak with security agencies, family sources say. According to the family members, Mutallab has been uncomfortable with the boy's extreme religious views and had six months ago reported his activities to United States' Embassy, Abuja and Nigerian security agencies.
The older Mutallab was said to be devastated on hearing the news of Abdul Farouk's attempted bombing arrest. A source close to him said he was surprised that after his reports to the US authorities, the young man was allowed to travel to the United States.
The family home of the Mutallabs in Central London, is currently being searched by men of the Metropolitan Police. THISDAY checks reveal that the suspect, Abdulfarouk Umar Muttalab who is an engineering student at the University College, London had been noted for his extreme views on religion since his secondary school days at the British International School, Lome, Togo.
At the secondary school, he was known for preaching about Islam to his schoolmates and he was popularly called “Alfa”, a local coinage for Islamic scholar. After his secondary school, the young man, family sources said went to University College London to study engineering and later relocated to Egypt, and then Dubai. While in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, he declared to his family members that he did not want to have anything to do with any of them again.
His father, Muttalab is a regular visitor to the US where he visits for medical check up and holidays. He is expected to issue a statement later today.
Muttalab is married to an Arab of Yemeni-descent. However, THISDAY could not confirm at the time of filing this report if the woman is the mother of the young man now receiving treatment in Ann Harbor Hospital, Detroit, for burns suffered while he was trying to detonate the explosive device in the plane.
Meanwhile, Prof. Dora Akunyili, minister of information and communications, has issued the following statement: " Federal Government of Nigeria received with dismay the news of an attempted terrorist attack on a US airline. We state very clearly that as a nation, we abhor all forms of terrorism. The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has directed Nigerian security agencies to commence full investigation of the incident. While steps are being taken to verify the identity of the alleged suspect and his motives, our security agencies will cooperate fully with the American authorities in the on-going investigations. Nigerian government will be providing updates as more information becomes available."
Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, had caused panic when he tried to detonate some explosive device strapped to his leg on Christmas Day while the US airliner was about to land at Detroit Metro Airport with 278 people on board.
Abdulmutallab was said to have been overpowered by passengers after the failure of the device to ignite properly. He is currently being questioned by the FBI, according to a senior US official. A passenger, identified as Jasper Schuringa, told CNN that with the aid of the cabin crew, he helped subdue and isolate Abdulmutallab.
Agency reports quoted the US federal law enforcement and airline security agencies say Abdulmutallab was taken into custody and is being treated for second- and third-degree burns on his thighs. Reports said the remains of the device the suspect detonated have been sent to an FBI explosives laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis.
Even with the initial official impression that the suspect was acting alone and did not have any formal connections to organised terrorist organisations, there are reports that he was indeed a hard-core, trained al-Qaeda operative. Abdulmutallab was quoted in a US federal security bulletin to have admitted having extremist ties and saying the explosive device "was acquired in Yemen along with instructions as to when it should be used".
Statement from Representative Peter King of New York, the senior Republican on the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, was quoted as branding the explosive device "fairly sophisticated". "(The device) appears to be different from what we've encountered before," Mr King told Fox News. "My understanding also is that while (the suspect) is not on a watch list, he definitely has terror connections.
"There is a terrorist nexus leading towards al-Qaeda involving this assailant. When it did go off he himself was seriously injured, my understanding is he has third-degree burns. This could have been catastrophic."
Abdulmutallab, according to sources, flew into Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on a KLM flight from Lagos and is not believed to be on any "no fly" list. This is despite his name appearing in a US database of people with suspect connections. An administration official also said he did not undergo secondary security screening in Amsterdam. It was from here he transferred to Northwest Airlines - which is undergoing a merger with Delta Airlines - for the nine-hour flight to Detroit in an Airbus A330-330.
US President Barack Obama, who was holidaying in Hawaii, acting on briefing on the incident, instructed in a subsequent discussion with security advisers "that all appropriate measures be taken to increase security for air travel".
Direct fallout of this incident is more rigorous security checks by airlines. A spokesperson for BAA said British passengers travelling to the US 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," she added. "If in any doubt, please contact the relevant airline for further information."
A Department of Homeland Security statement Friday told air passengers that they "may notice additional screening measures put into place to ensure the safety of the travelling [sic] public on domestic and international flights." Abdulmutallab’s trip began in Lagos, Nigeria where he boarded a KLM airline flight to Amsterdam and connected with Northwest Delta airline to Michigan, USA.
Barack Hussein Obama is not having a good month—
1. The Conservatives continue to bash him at every opportunity.
2. The Daily Kos crowd is ticked off at Obama for being such a wimp on socialized medicine.
3. And now his Black Muslim Brothers turn on him by commiting a “manmade disaster” during Obama’s watch after being forewarned in June 2009 to not let this Nigerian Muslim into the USA.
Yup. Obama is being dissed from all corners.
Are you going on EVERY thread to post your anti-American rant?
I’ve already posted the FACTS to you on another thread.
Here they are again:
The terrorist was seated in 19A (window seat)
The Dutchamn was in 20J.
He looked to his left. “I saw smoke rising from a seat ... I didn’t hesitate. I just jumped.” he said.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/terror_hero_didn_hesitate_8oVwlYC8M0rFfwIwkjVXXM#ixzz0aoVUucH6
So the plot thickens.
“.....he was surprised that after his reports to the US authorities, the young man was allowed to travel to the United States.”
Good job, Zero.
Thanks for that inside info!
I flew out of Schiphol a few years ago. They hardly looked at me or many other of the passengers as we went through security. It seems that the Euro security procedures are much easier than ours stateside.
Holy crap, indeed. That link needs to be widely seen.
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2009/12/commenter_says_he_was_aboard_n.html
We all joke about grandmas in wheelchairs being searched while the terrorists are passed right through, but this is ridiculous. No passport, no search, and six months earlier the FBI was alerted by his own father that he is a terror prospect who shouldn’t be allowed to fly.
Six months—just the same length of time that the FBI knew all about the Fort Hood Shooter—and did nothing.
I would be very happy to be able to show you a single account that verified that anyone other than the Dutchman participated in the “takedown” of the terrorist. If anyone has any information regarding this I for one would appreciate being made aware of it. News headlines referring to “Passengers” who subdued the terrorist only list one individual, the Dutchman, who actually took him down. Of course, eventually the flight attendants showed up, but according to one source, even then it was the Dutchman who actually escorted the perpetrator to first class where he was detained.
As for your contention that many passengers “hadn’t the vaguest idea what was happening” (I would certainly be among them) one person - thank God - had the presence of mind to realize what was going on, and to act decisively.
so now, to over compensate, he'll tighten security by searching even more white geriatric passengers... right???
I just love two things about the story at the link. First, the quoted witness, “Pug,” says that it never crossed his mind that the terrorist was a terrorist when he boarded the plane suspiciously. Pathetic. He is bragging about being politically correct (stupid) even though it alomost cost him his life. Second, I love how this guy has some sort of credibility because he is a contributor to mlive.com (whatever the crap that is). i.e. if this were you or me making this statement we would be deemed an uncredible, racist.
Depressing assessment of the American passengers on Flight 253.
Matter of fact, this is a bit off topic, but the banker probably told authorities that his son shouldn’t be allowed to fly because he wanted to avoid precisely what happened—his son flew, tried to commit a terrorist act, and was burned and captured. Or alternately, managed to blow up the plane and was killed.
In other words, was he concerned to protect a bunch of white passengers, or was he concerned to keep his son out of trouble? The obvious assumption is that his son kept talking about blowing up planes and his father thought, well, if we can keep him off of planes, then maybe we can keep him out of trouble.
Little did he think that the authorities would fail to put him on the do not fly list, and then would let him on board the nearest plane, and would do so even though he didn’t have a passport.
His son’s too old to lock him in his bedroom or spank, but at least he could be kept away from airplanes. I don’t know, but I suspect that’s what the father was thinking. Little did he know how stupid western security can be.
If you cannot answer those questions, your accusations make you sound like a 24k, solid gold idiot...now remember, I'm not saying you're an idiot, just that you sound like one (although you may actually BE one, but I would not judge a person by one silly statement).
It was my impression that Northwest Airlines no longer exists.
Yes, I’ll take an opportunity to say good for Dad. He did the right thing. It’s hard to warn people about your own son.
I wish we had taken him more seriously. Honestly.
Do you know how far seat 19A is from 20J? There were numerous people closer to the terrorist, people that the Dutchman had to climb over to subdue him.
What I find offensive are the boastful “well, we Americans sure took care of this guy!” posts on the hijack threads, when actually the person who saved the day was not even an American. (I’m a natural-born American citizen but as it so happens I do admire the Dutch people, having visited their lovely country on a number of occasions. The Dutch tend to be more reserved than we “gung ho” Americans, but as this situation showed, this particular Dutchman in any case sure knew what to do.)
e.out for a smoke
You made the statement. Now prove that "NOT A SINGLE American passenger made ANY move against the terrorist."
It's not up to anyone here to disprove your statement. It's up to you to prove it.
Sometimes it’s just a case of being alert to your surroundings. Did you ever notice how many people are sleeping on long,overseas trips? I’ve been on flights where I was the only person awake.
LOL! Who said anything about “Freepers”? Better watch out or you will “prove” the contention of many Europeans that Americans are vain and arrogant! (I’m American myself).
Yes, I do know the distance between the Dutchman’s seat and the window seat of the terrorist.
The Dutchman’s fast reaction puts a new meaning into “Flying Dutchman.”
Apparently, a lot of passengers heard a “pop” but the Dutchman was the first to spot the smoke and he reacted immediately.
My question to you: how do you know that do-nothing Americans were seated nearby?
Do we know who was seated next to the terrorist? A old lady? A man?
Seems to me you’ve assumed a lot and I don’t know why you’re so quick to complain that the hero wasn’t an American given it was an International flight.
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