Above: An undated photo of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab,
the suspect in the thwarted bombing, was made available
by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Wall Street Journal
HONOLULU — President Barack Obama on Tuesday said a -
“potential catastrophic breach” of security led to the x-mas
Day attempted bombing on a Detroit-bound airplane.
Video: Obama on System Failures CBS
Man claims fellow passenger videotaped attempted bombing
The Detroit News
Paul Egan
The person was returning from Ethiopia with two adopted children
A Wisconsin man who was aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day says his daughter saw a man videotape the entire flight, including an attempt by a passenger to blow up the aircraft. Charlie Keepman of Oconomowoc said he and his wife and daughter, Ricki, were aboard the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit Metropolitan Airport as the family returned from Ethiopia with two children they had just adopted. “This person actually was videotaping it,” said Keepman, adding that several passengers saw the man, who was seated a few rows in front of them aboard the aircraft. Finding him and his videotape was of great interest to FBI officials who questioned passengers following the flight, Keepman said. Federal officials had no immediate comment. Read more.
Obama Seeks to Assure U.S.; Qaeda Group Stakes Claim
The New York Times
HONOLULU — President Obama emerged from Hawaiian seclusion on Monday to try to quell gathering criticism of his administration’s handling of the thwarted Christmas Day bombing of an American airliner as a branch of Al Qaeda claimed responsibility. Read more
Obama vows to ‘keep up the pressure’ on terrorists
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Above: Former bank official Alhaji Umaru Mutallab,
father of the suspected terrorist. ( FirstBankNigeria)
Press Statement by the Mutallab Family
Our family, like the rest of the world, were woken up in the early hours of Saturday, 26th December, 2009 to the news of an attempt to blow up a plane by a young Nigerian man, who was later identified as Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab. Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab is the son of Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru AbdulMutallab, the head of this Family.
Prior to this incident, his father, having become concerned about his disappearance and stoppage of communication while schooling abroad, reported the matter to the Nigerian security agencies about two months ago, and to some foreign security agencies about a month and a half ago, then sought their assistance to find and return him home. We provided them with all the information required of us to enable them do this. We were hopeful that they would find and return him home. It was while we were waiting for the outcome of their investigation that we arose to the shocking news of that day.
The disappearance and cessation of communication which got his mother and father concerned to report to the security agencies are completely out of character and a very recent development, as before then, from very early childhood, Farouk, to the best of parental monitoring, had never shown any attitude, conduct or association that would give concern. As soon as concern arose, very recently, his parents, reported it and sought help.
The family will continue to fully cooperate with local and international security agencies towards the investigation of this matter, while we await results of the full investigation.
We, along with the whole world, are thankful to Al-Mighty God that there were no lives lost in the incident. May God continue to protect us all, amen.
Finally, as the matter is being investigated by the various agencies, and has already been mentioned in a US court, the family requests that the press should regard this as the only statement it will make for now.
Thank you.
Signed
The Mutallab Family
Abuja, Nigeria
——
Nigerian Charged with Trying to Blow Up Airliner
Voice of America
Nico Colombant | Washington 26 December 2009
U.S. authorities have charged a Nigerian man with trying to blow up a plane on its descent into the city of Detroit on Friday. The man, who comes from a prominent Nigerian family, was read the charges in a hospital Saturday, where he is being treated for burns. U.S. District Judge Paul Borman read the 23-year-old his charges in a room at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. Read More.
Watch Video: Man charged in US plane bomb plot – 27 Dec 09
Wisconsin family battled fear on targeted flight
Associated Press
By CARRIE ANTLFINGER | 5:32 p.m. CST, December 26, 2009
MILWAUKEE – Richelle Keepman and her parents were flying home from Ethiopia where her parents just adopted two children when they heard a pop and saw two terrified flight attendants run for fire extinguishers. The 24-year-old, her parents, Charles and Patricia Keepman, and her new 6-year-old sister and 8-year-old brother were sitting near the back of the plane. They were about 20 rows behind the 23-year-old man who is accused of trying detonate an explosive device as the Northwest flight was preparing to land in Detroit. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab of Nigeria was charged Saturday in the Christmas Day attempt that only sparked a fire on the flight from Amsterdam. The family was flying from Addis Abeba. Read more.
Father of Terror Suspect Reportedly Warned U.S.
Above: Former bank official Alhaji Umaru Mutallab,
father of the suspected terrorist. ( FirstBankNigeria)
FOX News | Saturday, December 26, 2009
The alleged father of a Nigerian man charged with trying to blow up a Northwest Airlines plane on Christmas Day reportedly warned the U.S. about his son’s fanatical religious views and activities, the New York Post reported. Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, believed to be the suspected terrorist’s father, told a Nigerian news outlet that six months ago he alerted the U.S. Embassy to his son’s fanatical religious views, the Post reported. He allegedly told Nigerian newspaper This Day that he had informed both the U.S. Embassy and the Nigerian security services of his 23-year-old son Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s activities, the Post reported. Read more.
