On December 25th, 2009, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a
Nigerian tried to detonate an explosive aboard a Northwest Flight 253
over Detroit in the United States of America. As the son of one of
Nigeria’s most prominent businessmen and someone who had access to
international travel and a world-class education, his terrorist
act took Nigeria by surprise.
Umar has since been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
However, the FBI has recently revealed the reason why the explosives
failed to go off.
During his trial he said the bomb in his underwear was a ‘blessed weapon’ to avenge poorly treated Muslims around the world.
Two FBI agents told WXYZ TV
that Umar confessed to the plot, saying that he had worn the explosive
underwear for three weeks in order to get used to it and make sure he
could get it through security.
“So basically for three weeks he wore this garment, these
underwear with this device in it. We think ultimately that is probably
what caused the disruption in the sequence of events in the explosion,” said FBI agent Ted Peissig.
The agents also revealed that Umar was not recruited by al Qaeda, but the other way around.
“He sought out al Qaeda relentlessly,” another FBI agent on the case, Mike Connelly said. “He persisted and he was almost turned away at times, you know, by al Qaeda. But he refused to relent.”
FBI agents also say the Underwear Bomber might have inadvertently
foiled his own plot because of his obsession about making sure the bomb
would not be detected. They further revealed that he had been instructed
to detonate the bomb over a populated area to maximize the death toll.
Here is the account of the FBI agents as reported by WXYZ TV
In Abdulmutallab’s mind it was an act of
martyrdom and jihad. He had no feelings for the men, women and children
around him who were about die, according to the FBI agents.
“He did not bat an eye in saying if that
plane was going to go down, it was going to go down. That was God’s
call. That wasn’t his call. His responsibility was just to detonate the
bomb, and whatever happened, happened,” says agent Connelly.
As the huge jumbo jet carrying over 300
people was approaching Detroit, Abulmutallab disappeared into the
restroom to wash himself, a ritual for his passage into the next life.
When he returned to his seat he told the guy sitting next to him that he
wasn’t feeling well.
“And pulled a blanket almost completely concealing himself up to the chin,” says Agent Peissig.
Using a plastic syringe, Abdulmutallab
injected a mixture of liquids and solids into the explosive chemicals
already packed into his underwear.
But Instead of exploding, the bomb burst into flames, setting his clothes and the blanket on fire, seriously burning him.
The two agents who visited Nigeria during the course of his
investigation said they extracted detailed and chilling information
about Abdulmutallab and his mission, getting a rare glimpse into the
mind of a suicide bomber.
“In his tone, his conversation, he’s very reserved,” adds agent Connelly. “He’s deliberate in his speech.”
“The witnesses remarked about how he just looked like a simple young school boy,” says Peissig.
But appearances don’t match reality in
the case of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. Agents say he was an extreme
fanatic and a very dangerous man.
He was hell-bent on taking down a jumbo
jet over Detroit with no consideration for the hundreds who would die in
the plane and on the ground.
“He is completely different from any
terrorist that I’ve had the ability to talk to,” explains Connelly.
“Different because of his absolute devotion to Jihad. The degree of
conviction that he had to the cause is unparalleled.”
Thank God his attempt to kill innocent people was foiled.
Daily mail
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