Word: detroit
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...uncommon for would-be terrorists to claim an al-Qaeda link where one doesn't exist, but counterterrorism experts say several aspects about the Detroit incident point to a pattern...
...incident occurred about 11:30 Christmas morning, as Northwest Airlines Flight 253, carrying 278 passengers from Amsterdam, was in its final descent into Detroit's international airport. According to the FBI affidavit, a few minutes before the events began, Abdulmutallab went into the bathroom for about 20 minutes then, upon returning to his seat, complained that he had an upset stomach and put a blanket over himself. Suddenly, passengers heard a loud pop and then saw smoke and flames coming from Row 19. "What are you doing? What are you doing?" one woman shouted toward the man, later identified...
...unclear why Abdulmutallab chose the flight to Detroit. The city's airport is the 13th busiest in North America and is the hub for Northwest and Delta airlines. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, federal authorities have intensified security for the bridges and tunnels that connect Detroit to Windsor...
With the FBI releasing only sketchy details about the failed attempt to bring down the Northwest Flight 253 in Detroit, many counterterrorism officials and experts caution against hasty conclusions. "This was clearly an attempted terror strike, but it's too early to say whether this guy was a lone, self-motivated terrorist or a part of a larger plot," says one counterterrorism official. "We obviously have to assume the worst and investigate this thing down to the smallest details...
...technique: Officials say Abdulmutallab tried to set off the incendiary mixture as the plane was in its descent to Detroit. This suggests that he was not merely trying to kill the passengers and crew but was probably hoping to make the plane crash in a populated area. The technique also has parallels with "shoe bomber" Richard Reid's failed attempt to bring down American Airlines Flight 63 just three days before Christmas 2001. The FBI affidavit charging Abdulmutallab also indicated that the Nigerian used PETN, the same explosive substance Reid tried to detonate...