Al-Qaida link in failed Detroit plane attack

[Mr. Gundam]

http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1155ap_us_airliner_disturbance.html

AP sources: Al-Qaida link in failed plane attack

WASHINGTON -- A Northwest Airlines passenger from Nigeria, who said he was acting on al-Qaida's 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.

There was nothing out of the ordinary until the flight was on final approach to Detroit, said Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory. That is when the pilot declared an emergency and landed without incident shortly thereafter, Cory said in an e-mail message. The plane landed at 11:51 a.m. EST.

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.

The passenger was being questioned Friday evening. An intelligence source said the Nigerian passenger was being held and treated in an Ann Arbor, Mich., hospital.

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 man's body but investigators weren't immediately certain, partly because of the struggle with other passengers.

One passenger from the flight was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, hospital spokeswoman Tracy Justice said. She didn't know the person's condition, or whether the person was a man or woman. She referred all inquiries to the FBI.

Passenger Syed Jafri, a U.S. citizen who had flown from the United Arab Emirates, said the incident occurred during the plane's descent. Jafri said he was seated three rows behind the passenger and said he saw a glow, and noticed a smoke smell. Then, he said, "a young man behind me jumped on him."

"Next thing you know, there was a lot of panic," he said.

Rich Griffith, a passenger from Pontiac, said he was seated too far in the back to see what had happened. But he said he didn't mind being detained on the plane for several hours. "It's frustrating if you don't want to keep your country safe," he said. "We can't have what's going on everywhere else happening here."

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.

J.P. Karas, 55, of Wyandotte, Mich., said he was driving down a road near the airport and saw a Delta jet at the end of the runway, surrounded by police cars, an ambulance, a bus and some TV trucks.

"I don't ever recall seeing a plane on that runway ever before and I pass by there frequently," he said.

Karas said it was difficult to tell what was going on, but it looked like the front wheel was off the runway.

"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.

The passenger got on board in Nigeria, so at least we won't have people tightening up airport security more than it already is. Unfortunately, that means Nigeria is going to get crapped on, and they don't need that right now.

[Brehvolution]

I don't know if one guy is indicative of a whole nation.

[Ichirou]

I'm reading about this on CNN.

The CNN URL makes it sound like the guy was trying to set off fireworks:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/12/25/airliner.firecrackers/index.html

You can just imagine what the airlines are going to do in response to this.  Flying in a plane is going to become more unbearable than ever.

[Mr. Gundam]

I don't know if one guy is indicative of a whole nation.

Sadly, rational logic doesn't work with a lot of Americans.

[Mr. Gundam]

Huh, the AP and CNN articles paint vastly different pictures of what happened.

[Ichirou]

You know they're probably going to use this as an excuse to ban liquids from flights entirely.

[drew]

i fly in and out of detroit all the time

fml

[Human Snorenado]

DAMN YOU JINFASH

[The Fake Shemp]

DAMN YOU JINFASH

 

[The Fake Shemp]

And to believe, a plane exploding in the middle of downtown Detroit might have actually made the city slightly prettier. Way to fuck up Christmas, bin Laden.

[Flannel Boy]

PD am cry

[drew]

And to believe, a plane exploding in the middle of downtown Detroit might have actually made the city slightly prettier. Way to fuck up Christmas, bin Laden.

you know that 2005 movie with that actor that recently went broke about guns? remember that scene where all the africans stripped the plane?  it would have been like that except itd be a bunch of extras from the wire pickpocketing dead bodies

[The Fake Shemp]

Just think, an incompetent suicide bomber had to deprive all those homeless and impoverished children the Christmas they deserved.

DETROIT: We can't even get someone to blow us up

[duckman2000]

Seriously, why Detroit? Did he just grab any flight he could?

[The Fake Shemp]

It was either Detroit or Salt Lake City, but one had a layover in New Jersey and my iPod battery was low.

                                                         /

[Oblivion]

Seriously, why Detroit? Did he just grab any flight he could?

He got screwed in the raffle. All the good cities were taken.  :'(

[Diunx]

Who the fuck goes to detroit anyway?

[fistfulofmetal]

DAMN YOU JINFASH

Step 1: Become Icon
Step 2: Blow up Detroit
Step 3:

Jinfash may just be the worst terrorist alive. Or the best.

[Human Snorenado]

Who the fuck goes to detroit anyway?

I dunno, even Allen Iverson left that shit hole.

[Phoenix Dark]

Heard about this a lot today. I seriously doubt a terrorist is going to successfully take over an airplane again, or blow it up. That's an invitation for an ass whoopin

[Human Snorenado]

What do you think they're going to do once they infiltrate your borders?

Probably institute a repressive, draconian form of Islam where it's cool to cut off people's hands, heads etc and women have no rights whatsoever OH SHIT WAIT

[Diunx]

Heard about this a lot today. I seriously doubt a terrorist is going to successfully take over an airplane again, or blow it up. That's an invitation for an ass whoopin

Yeah I'm sure that terrorists that want to blow themselves up and take a plane full of people with them are really worried about an ass whoopin.

[Brehvolution]

What do you think they're going to do once they infiltrate your borders?

Probably institute a repressive, draconian form of Islam where it's cool to cut off people's hands, heads etc and women have no rights whatsoever OH SHIT WAIT

[twerd]

But Detroit is so used to getting destroyed, it probably wouldn't have mattered.

[duckman2000]

Jesus protects Detroit

[youtube=560,345]EWivww3-Yfw[/youtube]

[Tieno]

It was either Detroit or Salt Lake City, but one had a layover in New Jersey and my iPod battery was low.

                                                         /
(Image removed from quote.)

Looks like mojovonio. (the sad, peering, depressing eyes)

[Phoenix Dark]

Jesus protects Detroit

[youtube=560,345]EWivww3-Yfw[/youtube]

[Donono]

Damn that's a long flight.  My theory is that he was probably so excited to finally be landing and GTFO of the plane he short circuited.

[Boogie]

I don't know if one guy is indicative of a whole nation.

No, but Nigeria has a growing reputation of lawlessness among the law-enforcement community.  The ever-present frauds, it becoming an increasing transit-point for drugs, and now a launching pad for terrorism?

Then there's that famous pic online of some random dude walking fucking hyenas down the street on chains.

Ya, it will suffice to say that I don't hold a high view of that country's institutions, on the whole.

[Mr. Gundam]

The new TSA restrictions are horrible. You can't have personal items out during the last hour of your flight? You can't get up during the last hour of your flight? Only one carry-on item on international flights?

Fuck that.

[The Fake Shemp]

After the next terrorist attack, we'll all be forced to wear shackles and pee in a cup.

[Boogie]

The new TSA restrictions are horrible. You can't have personal items out during the last hour of your flight? You can't get up during the last hour of your flight? Only one carry-on item on international flights?

Fuck that.

I'm seriously contemplating just wearing my gawdamned badge around my neck anytime I fly anymore.

"I'm sorry, what's that?  Oh, you think that a federal police officer is going to blow up the airplane by reading a magazine on landing approach?  Well, by all means, you glorified waitress, I'll tuck my copy of Foreign Policy under my seat to ease your fear that I might be some Uber-secret sleeper cell agent."

The real problem is the slack-jawed security guards who get paid $12/hour to fall asleep at the metal detectors/X-ray machines.

But there's NO FUCKING POINT in changing airline regulations in First-world countries when this potential terrorist boarded his flight to the 'States in fucking Nigeria where all you have to do is slip the security screener a fucking C-note and you can bring a gawdamned AK onto the plane.

[The Fake Shemp]

Does anyone think these travel restrictions make us safer? If a terrorist wants to blow up a plane - a competent one anyway - they will find a way to do it. All this does is make an increasingly insufferable mode of transportation that much more insufferable. I await the day of FLIGHT RAGE, when passengers hit a boiling point and start assaulting one another.

I mean, it's just not humane to cram as many people as possible into a small, confined space for hours and then force them to basically sit still or buy overpriced drinks.

[Flannel Boy]

It was either Detroit or Salt Lake City, but one had a layover in New Jersey and my iPod battery was low.

                                                         /
(Image removed from quote.)

Looks like mojovonio. (the sad, peering, depressing eyes)

The difference is that mojo, to deal with his pain, bangs 72 broads in Montreal while the terrorists--along with malek--wait for the afterlife.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

what would be the best book to read until I get arrested for READING A BOOK during the last hour of my flight

[The Fake Shemp]

what would be the best book to read until I get arrested for READING A BOOK during the last hour of my flight

[Boogie]

Does anyone think these travel restrictions make us safer?

Absolutely not.  The key remains having security and airline personnel (and yes, ordinary passengers) being vigilant to potentially terrorist acts.

Further restrictions really are just knee-jerk reactions by the various aviation agencies to be seen as doing something to prevent this potential act.

The fact is, you are right.  Dedicated terrorists will succeed one day, simply because authorities always have to be on the ball to catch the bad guys, and when airplanes are protected by minimum wage security guards, flight attendants, and the average passenger, the ball is in the bad guys' court.  It's really a not-so-minor miracle that there has been no successful aircraft terrorist incident since 9/11.  Perhaps that really is a testament to the average citizen being more alert on flights and willing to immediately act upon a threat.

[Boogie]

what would be the best book to read until I get arrested for READING A BOOK during the last hour of my flight

(Image removed from quote.)

I was going to suggest Catcher in the Rye.

[Agent Whiskers]

What do you think they're going to do once they infiltrate your borders?

The rebelling tribe was fighting the Yemeni government for independence for some time now, so they're probably looking for a land, on the other hand Al Qaida probably wants a strategic stronghold on the southern border, where a lot of their supporters reside. If they succeed, the next step would probably be taking control of more land to the north.

Why? because of what Truimph said. It's a sad/funny situation, I know.

Basically they're looking to overthrow the government? I never really looked into this much but what's their beef with the royal family? I've been hearing about it for a while but never paid much mind to it.

[The Fake Shemp]

Perhaps that really is a testament to the average citizen being more alert on flights and willing to immediately act upon a threat.

This is so true. I feel like when I fly that every American citizen thinks they're an honorary US Marshall nowadays.

"Let someone set off an incendiary device - I will launch across the aisle and plow his asshole!"

[Howard Alan Treesong]

[Flannel Boy]

Now that's a beard.

[Boogie]

It's really a not-so-minor miracle that there has been no successful aircraft terrorist incident since 9/11.  Perhaps that really is a testament to the average citizen being more alert on flights and willing to immediately act upon a threat.

Either that or big shot terrorists stopped seeing plane suicide attacks as a viable plan, and that most of the unsuccessful attempts that followed were carried out by pipsqueak copycat terrorists.

That could also be true.

Unfortunately, in recent years, it would seem to be difficult to discern what "big shot terrorists" are planning/thinking, as most of the successful and foiled plots of recent years have been carried out/attempted by such copycats.

[Phoenix Dark]

http://us.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2009/12/26/nr.jasper.schuringa.intv.cnn
 

[Eric P]

Then there's that famous pic online of some random dude walking fucking hyenas down the street on chains.

i love that pic because in the background there's a dude with a baboon on a chain

[Great Rumbler]

Then there's that famous pic online of some random dude walking fucking hyenas down the street on chains.

i love that pic because in the background there's a dude with a baboon on a chain

(Image removed from quote.)

Man, Detroit's really getting pretty wild these days.

[MyNameIsMethodis]

It's funny because it's racist.

[Human Snorenado]

It's funny because it's racist.

What do you care, cracker?

[MyNameIsMethodis]

Why am I a "cracker"? Seriously, why are you such a racist bigot that you don't believe my race?

[Human Snorenado]

Because nothing you have ever said has proven you to be credible regarding anything.  Period.

[Phoenix Dark]

COPS fear that 25 British-born Muslims are plotting to bomb Western airliners.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2785733.ece#ixzz0axRqlGsv

[The Fake Shemp]

Well that about wraps it up for air travel

[Phoenix Dark]

I wonder what's the best way to test someone for exotic explosives. Pat down?

[MyNameIsMethodis]

I PM'd Kohler on GAF and he said he never worked with black people, ever.

So there.

In Kohlers eyes, everyone is yellow, because he fellates them daily.

[ManaByte]

I wonder what's the best way to test someone for exotic explosives. Pat down?

Full body cavity searches. If explosives are found, a random passenger is selected and gets to detonate them while still attached to the terrorist.

[Great Rumbler]

Then there's that famous pic online of some random dude walking fucking hyenas down the street on chains.

i love that pic because in the background there's a dude with a baboon on a chain

(Image removed from quote.)

That's Detroid nowadays? Damn. Get dem brothas out of there, PD.

I already did that joke and on this very page!

[Great Rumbler]

Then there's that famous pic online of some random dude walking fucking hyenas down the street on chains.

i love that pic because in the background there's a dude with a baboon on a chain

(Image removed from quote.)

That's Detroid nowadays? Damn. Get dem brothas out of there, PD.

I already did that joke and on this very page!

I did not joke

That's the joke!

[duckman2000]

Anyone else gets the feeling that this dude was the butt of all jokes back in terrorist camp? "Let's make dildo here think he's on a real mission, and then give him a shitty bomb that burns his crotch lulz. Besides, it will scare some infidels!"

[Human Snorenado]

I love how no one, NO ONE has pointed out the fact that this idiot never went through AMERICAN SECURITY to get his fucking diaper bomb on board, so WHY THE FUCK DO WE HAVE TO SUFFER BECAUSE A C NOTE CAN BUY YOU ANYTHING IN YEMEN?

[duckman2000]

Did he have to go through any additional security in Amsterdam? I would have assumed that all passengers on all in-bound flights with any connection to the turrist foreignlands would be subject to a ridiculous amount of security.