Muslim Tried To Blow Up Plane To Detroit
December 25th, 2009From ABC News:
[AP caption: This picture provided by J.P. Karas shows Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on the runway after arriving at Detroit Metropolitan Airport from Amsterdam on Friday, Dec. 25, 2009. A passenger aboard the plane set off firecrackers Friday, causing a commotion and some minor injuries, a Delta official said. Delta and Northwest have merged.]
Man Attempts to Set Off Explosives on Plane
Two Injured in Northwest Airlines Flight from Amsterdam to Detroit
By RICHARD ESPOSITO and SCOTT MAYEROWITZ
Dec. 25, 2009Federal officials and police are interviewing a Nigerian man, who allegedly tried to "explode" a powdery substance aboard a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, injuring himself and two other passengers, law enforcement officials said.
The man said he was directed by al Qaeda to explode a small device in flight, over U.S. soil, ABC News has learned. Authorities have no corroboration of that information and the credibility of the suspects statements are being questioned, officials said.
"The subject is claiming to have extremist affiliation and that the device was acquired in Yemen along with instructions as to when it should be used," a federal situational awareness bulletin added.
Northwest Airlines flight 253 landed safely in Detroit at 11:53 a.m. The man, whose flight started in Nigeria before stopping in Amsterdam, was taken into custody at the Detroit airport and was interviewed by authorities there. He was then taken to an area hospital to be treated for burns.
Delta spokeswoman Susan Chana Elliott said that "as the plane was getting ready to land" in Detroit "a passenger caused a disturbance" by trying to ignite what was reported to be firecrackers.
The man was "subdued immediately," Elliott said. Northwest is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta.
An in-flight emergency was declared when a fire indicator light when on in the cockpit, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The pilot asked for airport rescue and firefighting services and for law enforcement to meet the flight at gate, the TSA said.
It is unclear how powerful the explosive could have been and what the mans intentions were. Initial reports were that fireworks or firecrackers had gone off on the plane.
The man suffered second-degree burns, which is consistent with a small fireworks device, police sources said.
Weirdly, the print version of the same ABC News story reads:
Man Attempts to Set Off Explosives on Plane
By RICHARD ESPOSITO, PIERRE THOMAS and SCOTT MAYEROWITZ
Dec. 25, 2009Federal officials and police are interviewing a man, believed to be Nigerian, who allegedly was trying to ignite a powdery substance today aboard a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.
Northwest Airlines flight 253 landed safely in Detroit at 11:42 a.m. Only two passengers suffered minor injuries, according to law enforcement officials. The man is in custody at the airport and being interviewed by authorities.
It is unclear how powerful the explosive could have been and what the mans intentions were. Initial reports were that fireworks or firecrackers had gone off on the plane.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Sandra R. Berchtold from the Detroit office confirmed that the FBI was at the airport but would not comment further.
The Transportation Security Administration, which handles aircraft and airplane safety, said it would be issuing a statement on the incident shortly.
The aircraft was an Airbus A330-200, twin jet carrying 178 passengers.
So why would ABC News rewrite it so?
Update!
From an disappointed Associated Press:
AP sources: Al-Qaida link in failed plane attack
By Larry Margasak And Lara Jakes, Associated Press Writer
December 25, 2009
WASHINGTON A Northwest Airlines passenger from Nigeria, who said he was acting on al-Qaidas instructions, tried to blow up the plane Friday as it was landing in Detroit, law enforcement and national security officials said.
Passengers subdued the man and may have prevented him from detonating the explosives, the officials said.
"We believe this was an attempted act of terrorism," a White House official said.
Federal officials imposed stricter screening measures after the incident.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., ranking GOP member of the House Homeland Security Committee, identified the suspect as Abdul Mudallad, a Nigerian. King said the flight began in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit. There were 278 passengers aboard the Airbus 330
One of the U.S. intelligence officials said the explosive device was a mix of powder and liquid. It failed when the passenger tried to detonate it
All the sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing.
One law enforcement source said the man claimed to have been instructed by al-Qaida to detonate the plane over U.S. soil.
The official said an official determination of a terrorist act would have to come from the attorney general.
The official added that additional security measures are being taken without raising the airline threat level.
The official declined to describe what additional measures law enforcement was taking.
The White House was coordinating briefings for the president through the Homeland Security Department, the Transportation Security Administration and the FBI.
A law enforcement source said the explosives may have been strapped to the mans body but investigators werent immediately certain, partly because of the struggle with other passengers
President Barack Obama was notified of the incident and discussed it with security officials, the White House said. It said he is monitoring the situation and receiving regular updates from his vacation spot in Hawaii
"We encourage those with future travel plans to stay in touch with their airline and to visit http://www.tsa.gov for updates," Homeland Security Department said in a statement.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been briefed on the incident and is closely monitoring the situation.
The department encouraged travelers to be observant and aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior to law enforcement officials.
Why didnt the White House official tell us that the perpetrator is a Muslim?
(Just kidding.)