Word: qaeda
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...Datamart Environment (TIDE) roster, the least rigorous of its four watch lists. It basically serves as a repository of suspicious characters; the placement of him on that list required no further action unless additional information linking Abdulmutallab to terrorism surfaced. (See how the incident on Flight 253 fits al-Qaeda's pattern...
...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...
Authorities say Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian native living in London, tried to light an incendiary mixture strapped to his leg, but instead set himself on fire. He was overpowered by passengers before he could do any further damage. Abdulmutallab has reportedly admitted links to al-Qaeda; he also claimed the plot originated in Yemen. On Saturday, Abdulmutallab was charged with attempting to destroy the aircraft and with placing a destructive device on the plane. (See an Osama bin Laden family photo album...
...Yemen connection: For several years, counterterrorism officials have said that al-Qaeda has been looking to consolidate and expand its base in the country of Osama bin Laden's ancestors. Yemeni authorities, prodded by Washington, have recently mounted an operation to wipe out the terrorist havens - including a missile strike this week that, officials in the Yemeni capital Sanaa say, killed 30 top al-Qaeda operatives. But if Abdulmutallab's plot did indeed originate in Yemen, then it would suggest that much more remains to be done. (See how al-Qaeda is creating a crisis in Yemen...
...Nigeria connection: Until now, al-Qaeda's operations in Africa have been concentrated in the east and north. But there have been some sporadic reports of increased Islamic extremism on the west coast. It's not clear whether Abdulmutallab was recruited in London or Nigeria, but if he made contact with al-Qaeda in his home country, then that opens up a new front in the fight against terrorism. (See how Nigeria is struggling with its Islamist insurgencies...