AP sources: Al-Qaida link in failed plane attack

[SuperDuper! 230]

Whether it is richard reed the shoebomber, or this clown, the crotchbomber, if we are passengers on a plane near him, we have to take decisive action and react, and BE the war against terrorism. How many of us would be willing to JUMP on such an idiot trying to blow up the plane? As VJ'rs, the answer better be 100% YES!

Edited December 26, 2009 by Hopp

[Scott & Lai 12]

Whether it is richard reed the shoebomber, or this clown, the crotchbomber, if we are passengers on a plane near him, we have to take decisive action and react, and BE the war against terrorism. How many of us would be willing to JUMP on such an idiot trying to blow up the plane? As VJ'rs, the answer better be 100% YES!

that's not the time nor the place to wait hoping the "authorities" will come and take the creature out before it's too late.

[Robby999 1,024]

I hope they " beat " the crotch fire out! I hope his burns are severe enough to make reproduction impossible for him and save 72 virgins from a life of disappointment and I hope there are 72 inmates where he ends up, waiting for their virgin!

[Nagishkaw 510]

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_14072166?source=rss

DETROIT - A man suspected of planning to blow up a Delta Air Lines flight in Detroit could face charges as soon as Saturday, according to an official familiar with the case.

The suspect is a Nigerian national who claims to have ties to al-Qaida.

It was unclear Friday why the man wanted to attack the flight arriving from Amsterdam.

The plane, an Airbus 330, landed about noon in Detroit, and was carrying 278 passengers on a flight from Amsterdam. There were no major injuries.

Many on board were unaware of what had occurred at the front of the plane - learning about the incident only after they had left the aircraft and were questioned by FBI agents.

Others were keenly aware, having a bird's-eye view of the man, who was tackled by passengers shortly after he tried to light what many thought was a firecracker.

"It was terrifying. I thought this was it," said Richelle Keepman of Oconomowoc, Wis., who sat just rows in front of the suspect.

She said she thought she was going to die when she saw the flames and commotion.

Michigan native Melinda Dennis was sitting in first class when the suspect was placed in a seat across the aisle from her.

"He didn't say anything," said Dennis, who lives in Europe and was connecting to a flight to Arizona. "He was burned very severely on his leg. ... He was very calm and didn't show any reaction to pain."

Passengers subdued the man and may have prevented him from detonating

the explosives, officials said.

The passenger created a disturbance by lighting what was reported to be firecrackers - or perhaps a "powdery substance" - onboard the flight, injuring himself and several other passengers, according to Delta Airlines

FBI spokeswoman Sandra Berchtold confirmed Friday that agents are at Metro.

One passenger from the flight was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, hospital spokeswoman Tracy Justice said. She would not say what the injuries were.

Because Delta Airlines in Detroit did not handle security for the flight, Elliott said she could not answer how the items that were ignited got on the plane.

She said Delta has a hub in Amsterdam and this one was among several flights Friday.

One man who witnessed the incident said he's proud of how passengers reacted.

Syed Jafry of Holland, Ohio, who had flown from the United Arab Emirates, said after emerging from the airport that people ran out of their seats to tackle the man.

Jafry was sitting in the 16th row when he heard "a pop and saw some smoke and fire." Then, he said, "a young man behind me jumped on him."

Jafry said there was a little bit of commotion for about 10 to 15 minutes. The incident occurred during the plane's descent, he said.

Dawn Griffith and daughter Jessica, both of Pontiac, Mich., knew her husband, Richard Griffith's Delta Airlines flight from Amsterdam had landed at Metro Airport just before noon Christmas morning. Around 12:20 p.m. he called and told her he was about to get off the plane.

"I'll see you in a minute," he said. That was the last time she talked to him before he walked out of customs to greet her and their daughter around 5:30 p.m.

By 1 p.m., Dawn Griffith and dozens of others waiting saw a black man handcuffed to a stretcher with bandaged hands wheeled by medical personnel past them.

"He went right by me," Jessica Griffith said. "He was very young looking," Dawn Griffith added.

One by one, the passengers deplaned with similar and various bits of the story. Most were harried from the hours they were held by law enforcement officials.

Donald Dawkins, spokesman with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Detroit, said the bureau's K-9 unit searched the bags. No other explosives or contraband were found in the suspect's luggage or in any other passenger's.

By all accounts, the suspect was immediately tackled by at least one man, and several other passengers ran towards him immediately trying to put the fire out.

"Smoke, flames, yelling and screaming" are what Iliana Schilke of Livonia, Mich., remembered, sitting a couple of rows behind the suspect. "It was scary when it happened."

Schilke, like other passengers, said she saw a man jump over his seat to get to the suspect. He was apparently burned in the process.

"It was a fire. It wasn't just a firecracker; it was a fire," Calvin Kakar of New York said, seated a few rows in front of the suspect. "We heard a pop, and the next thing you know it was a fire."

Jasmin Samimi of Findlay, Ohio, was also seated a few rows in front of the fire. Returning from Ethiopia, she too heard the popping sound, smelled smoke, and saw flames coming from his seat.

She was able to send a text to her mother, Jeannia Samimi, that there was a fire on the plane.

"Then," Jeannia Samimi said, "It's like silence." The passengers said they were told to turn off their cell phones.

More than one person, like Keepman, saw another passenger taping the incident with a video camera.

"We just saw a man filming it and heard screaming," said Keepman, who was seated in the back of the plane and didn't see the incident occur.

Passengers yelled for water, flight attendants ran to get the fire extinguisher, and the fire was soon doused.

Samimi she saw the man taken in a chokehold to the front of the plane.

Veena Saigl of Ann Arbor, Mich., said she saw "a sturdy guy put a lock on his head."

"His pants were down," Saigl added, calling the incident less scary and more frustrating and unorganized once passengers were allowed off the plane.

Jafry, Kakar and Richard Griffith all lauded their fellow passengers, the flight crew and law enforcement agents for how they handled the incident.

"It was the time to be proud to be an American for sure," Jafry said.

[Dave and Helena 0]

I hope there are 72 inmates where he ends up, waiting for their virgin!

Edited December 26, 2009 by Dave and Helena

[thongd4me 69]

Workin' for Al-Qaida?

- well somebody better remove "Al's time clock" from the lobby of JFK!

[DeniseBill 4]

It hurts me to say that this is partly the fault of my country's security. He was not checked between his plane from Nigeria and Delta Airlines (Royal Dutch Airlines)

It's all over our news, my mum called me about couple of minutes ago. She is flying over to NY monday with the RDA and is pretty scared.

I'm glad everything went as it went and the passengers who attacked the guy have something to be very proud of. Maybe a special personal thanks by Obama would be in it's place... instead of him sitting in Hawaii lol

Edited December 26, 2009 by DeniseBill

[alienlovechild 75]

It hurts me to say that this is partly the fault of my country's security. He was not checked between his plane from Nigeria and Delta Airlines (Royal Dutch Airlines)

I don't blame the Netherland's security personnel so much. It's worse to hear passengers complaining all the time about security procedures when the real problem are the terrorists and terrorist wannabes who have made international travel a hassle for everyone else.

[ScottThuy 140]

Just think abot what we have all gone through to get or spouses visas and this guy had a US visa good throgh the first half of 2010... and his name is in a Db of possible terrorists and thier associates... #######?

[Robby999 1,024]

I do not understand how he managed to get on the Delta flight in the first place. I believe his name was already on the No Fly List. I guess he was relying on the airports and security to be overwhelmed with holiday travelers and not very diligent. I wondered if the names on the flight manifest were even checked against Homeland Securities data base before the plane departed for the United States, I thought all inbound international flight manifests were checked before departure to the U.S.

Edited December 26, 2009 by Robby999

[JVKn'CVO 11]

All these people could have died...and on Christmas day

I think we are all owed an explanation, about how a guy who is on a terrorist watch list and is traveling on a one way ticket was able to get explosives and a lighter on the plane. Also, what they are going to do to prevent this from happening again in the future. For every time we have done the security dance at xyz airport, we are all owed an explanation.

Saludos,

Caro

[Dave and Helena 0]

..............................

Nigeria's This Day newspaper cited family members as saying Umaru Mutallab had been uncomfortable with his son's "extreme religious views" and had reported him to the U.S. embassy in the capital Abuja and to Nigerian security agencies six months ago.

.............................

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BP17U20091226

traveling on a one way ticket

Wonder what visa he was one since he was able to get on the flight. I thought that if you're on a tourist visa/VWP you weren't allowed to get into the U.S if you don't have a return ticket and hence probably wouldn't get on the flight?

[Scott & Lai 12]

We have learned nothing from 9/11

[ScottThuy 140]

we learned how to ignore the names of threats to the coutry when they are on a list and to let them fly anyway... or I should say the governement has learned how to do this... we have learned to not be surprised when it happens...

[_Simpson_ 250]

We have learned nothing from 9/11

Well considering we have not had such a event since 9/11 I would say we have learned alot, besides this wasn't a plane leaving the USA.