Word: sayings
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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...
...Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab? Federal authorities say the man suspected of trying to detonate explosives on Northwest Flight 253 as it neared Detroit was a 23-year-old engineering student at University College London. They say he is a Nigerian citizen, and he has reportedly claimed he was on a mission for al-Qaeda and that he had received instructions from Yemen. On Saturday, Abdulmutallab was charged with attempting to destroy the aircraft and with placing a destructive device on the plane. (Read "Nigeria Banker Fears Son Is Alleged Plane Attacker...
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...
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...
...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...