Airline Bombing Suspect Caught!!!

[NatashaDisneyCM]

well, I am guessing airline safety will get harder again! So how did he do this to begin with ???

http://wbztv.com/national/delta.plane.fire.2.1391114.html

Qaeda
White House: Incident Was Attempted Terrorist Attack
CBS News Interactive: Eye On Air Safety
WASHINGTON (CBS) ―
Click to enlarge
1 of 1
The firecrackers went off as Northwest Airlines Flight 253, an Airbus 330 carrying 278 passengers and operated by Delta, was arriving in Detroit from Amsterdam. (File)
CBS
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CBS News Interactive: Eye On Air Safety
U.S. officials say a Northwest Airlines passenger from Nigeria said he was acting on behalf of al Qaeda when he tried to blow up a flight Friday as it landed in Detroit.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., identified the suspect as Abdul Mudallad, a Nigerian. King said the flight began in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit.

A senior U.S. counterterror official says Mudallad was planning to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 carrying 278 passengers, but the explosive device failed. Mudallad reportedly ignited powder attached to his leg and was severely burned in the incident, CBS News reports.

Rather than having its intended effect on other passengers, however, the small fire only caused a commotion and some minor injuries.

Mudallad was on a terror watchlist, King said. The White House is calling the incident an attempted terrorist attack. The FBI is investigating, and stricter security measures were being implemented.

A U.S. security official says the explosive device was a mixture of powder and liquid.

Department of Homeland Security's Web Site

Initially, it was reported a passenger had attempted to light fireworks on board the the Airbus 330 as a type of prank.

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.

The flight left Amsterdam's Schiphol International Airport at 8:45 a.m. local time Friday morning and arrived in Detroit a 12:01 p.m. CST.

Click here for updated information on the Transportation Security Administration's list of prohibited items.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

well, I am guessing airline safety will get harder again! So how did he do this to begin with ???

http://wbztv.com/national/delta.plane.fire.2.1391114.html

Qaeda
White House: Incident Was Attempted Terrorist Attack
CBS News Interactive: Eye On Air Safety
WASHINGTON (CBS) ―
Click to enlarge
1 of 1
The firecrackers went off as Northwest Airlines Flight 253, an Airbus 330 carrying 278 passengers and operated by Delta, was arriving in Detroit from Amsterdam. (File)
CBS
Related Links

CBS News Interactive: Eye On Air Safety
U.S. officials say a Northwest Airlines passenger from Nigeria said he was acting on behalf of al Qaeda when he tried to blow up a flight Friday as it landed in Detroit.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., identified the suspect as Abdul Mudallad, a Nigerian. King said the flight began in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit.

A senior U.S. counterterror official says Mudallad was planning to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 carrying 278 passengers, but the explosive device failed. Mudallad reportedly ignited powder attached to his leg and was severely burned in the incident, CBS News reports.

Rather than having its intended effect on other passengers, however, the small fire only caused a commotion and some minor injuries.

Mudallad was on a terror watchlist, King said. The White House is calling the incident an attempted terrorist attack. The FBI is investigating, and stricter security measures were being implemented.

A U.S. security official says the explosive device was a mixture of powder and liquid.

Department of Homeland Security's Web Site

Initially, it was reported a passenger had attempted to light fireworks on board the the Airbus 330 as a type of prank.

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.

The flight left Amsterdam's Schiphol International Airport at 8:45 a.m. local time Friday morning and arrived in Detroit a 12:01 p.m. CST.

Click here for updated information on the Transportation Security Administration's list of prohibited items.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Bolded part above mine.......

Thank God it didn't go off like it appeared they were hoping.

 

[Micca]

So this guy gets on the flight with explosives but I can't board with my own shampoo?

 

[3prettyprincesses]

So this guy gets on the flight with explosives but I can't board with my own shampoo?

That made me laugh! I know it's a serious discussion but this was just too funny! It doesn't make sense does it? Millions of people had to throw out lotions, shampoos and such from their carry-ons but this genius is able to board with powder and liquid to detonate a bomb? That's crazy.

 

[Starbrite]

Clearly he should've been "watched" more if he's on a Watch List!!

Powders are generally allowed right? (Obviously not explosives) And liquids are OK as long as they're 2 oz & in a plastic baggie. I hear basic cigarette lighters are OK too. So who's checking to see exactly WHAT kinds of powders & liquids these are?????

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

So this guy gets on the flight with explosives but I can't board with my own shampoo?

I bet you we'll have to wear skirts or shorts from now on.


Seriously--this is insane.

Didn't they test in the US some type of stall that puffs air so that it can detect any powders? I don't recall what that was...but I haven't heard much of it lately.

 

[redlight]

He got on in Nigeria. I don't know what screening was done there, if any.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Clearly he should've been "watched" more if he's on a Watch List!!

Powders are generally allowed right? (Obviously not explosives) And liquids are OK as long as they're 2 oz & in a plastic baggie. I hear basic cigarette lighters are OK too. So who's checking to see exactly WHAT kinds of powders & liquids these are?????

Not sure where he put the liquid, but the powder was attached to his leg--so thus avoided any kind of screening process.

And I guess they figure that less than 3oz can't cause much harm.

I guess they were wrong.


On a side note--is the 3oz rule world wild, or just an FAA thing for the US?

 

[Squirlz]

So this guy gets on the flight with explosives but I can't board with my own shampoo?

Exactly. They were too busy looking at his shoes and toiletries. The kneejerk after-the-fact reactions by the TSA are making flying worse for everyone who isn't a terrorist and giving free reign to those who are.

 

[Starbrite]

On a side note--is the 3oz rule world wild, or just an FAA thing for the US?

He got on in Nigeria. I don't know what screening was done there, if any.

I don't know the answer either. But, I believe that any flight coming into our country should be held to the same security screenings. I don't know how that would be done, but they should figure out a way!

 

[DebbieB]

He got on in Nigeria. I don't know what screening was done there, if any.

He got on his original flight in Nigeria, then connected to this flight in Amsterdam. I wonder if he was rescreened in Amsterdam. When you fly into the US from a foreign country, you have to get rescreened before getting into the terminal as part of customs (at least I did at Dulles earlier this year). When I flew from India to Frankfurt to Dulles, there was no automatic rescreening in Frankfurt. I did get rescreened only because I had to change terminals, but they didn't even make me take my shoes off. I didn't have liquids in my carryon, so I'm not sure about that.

Are lighters still banned or did they recind that?

 

[dismom2]

Clearly he should've been "watched" more if he's on a Watch List!!
Powders are generally allowed right? (Obviously not explosives) And liquids are OK as long as they're 2 oz & in a plastic baggie. I hear basic cigarette lighters are OK too. So who's checking to see exactly WHAT kinds of powders & liquids these are?????

If he's on a terror watch list, he shouldn't be allowed to fly at all, in my opinion.

 

[KatelynnsAuntie]

He got on his original flight in Nigeria, then connected to this flight in Amsterdam.

According to the article the plane started it's journey in Nigeria:

King said the flight began in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit.

 

[bavaria]

the 100ml/3.4 oz rule is quite universal, and security tends to be MORE strict than in America in many parts of the world (witness CATSA, which prohibits Canadians from bringing items aboard which TSA does permit, for example)

AMS has security screening at the gate. Screening for US bound flights tends to be stricter in many international airports, and is one reason why I tend to avoid flying from FRA or CDG to America, for instance, whenever possible.

Both the baggage screening and the personal searches are much more intrusive in most of the countries I travel outside the US, including less developed countries. As to the American shoe carnival, it isn't followed in most of the rest of the world (and even in America it isn't always followed)

Passengers in America may bring a lighter on board at this time. That rule is not universal, however, and again illustrates that many other countries have more strict rules in place.

 

[bavaria]

And just a few weeks ago the American TSA certified that MMA (Lagos airport
) met ICAO standards for security http://thepmnews.com/2009/11/23/icao-certifies-mmia-fit

Awhile back German telelvision station ZDF was able to construct an explosive large enough to damage a medium size car, using items purchased at the airport duty free and powder they brought through security. There was quite some controversy both about the methods used and the false front which airport security measures can provide. http://www.welt.de/politik/article94424/Bomben_aus_dem_Duty_Free_Shop.html

 

[DawnCt1]

So this guy gets on the flight with explosives but I can't board with my own shampoo?

DH flies to Europe a lot, and security is far more lax outside of the country. This guy apparently boarded in Nigeria, where it is very lax. Many European cities are lax by our standards, Amsterdam is a more secure.

 

[Carl]

I find Frankfurt to the very strict. Each summer I fly into Frankfurt and reconnect to a flight to Munich or Vienna. They always make us go through security again before boarding the second plane.

 

[DebbieB]

According to the article the plane started it's journey in Nigeria:

King said the flight began in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit.

I think there is some confusion on that. According to CNN, he flew from Lagos Nigeria to Amsterdam on KLM.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/12/26/airline.attack/index.html

I checked Northwest & Delta's online schedule and it confirmed that the LOS to AMS flight was on KLM (a partner airline), so not the same plane. Delta/Northwest does not have any flights of their own from LOS to AMS.

 

[DawnCt1]

I find Frankfurt to the very strict. Each summer I fly into Frankfurt and reconnect to a flight to Munich or Vienna. They always make us go through security again before boarding the second plane.

DH had hip replacement surgery a few years ago and he always sets off the alarms. He feels that his "pat down" is much more thorough in the US than when he flies out of Frankfurt. That is the difference he notices. He always knows that he is going to be "wanded" and "frisked" in the US and that it takes time.

 

[bavaria]

DH had hip replacement surgery a few years ago and he always sets off the alarms. He feels that his "pat down" is much more thorough in the US than when he flies out of Frankfurt. That is the difference he notices. He always knows that he is going to be "wanded" and "frisked" in the US and that it takes time.

I fly every week, all over the world, and my experience is the exact opposite. I have the impression that TSA panders to the demands of the public and isn't always thorough enough. The physical searches that I experience regularly in Asia and in Europe are far more than a 'pat down' and are often not just part of a secondary screening.

And as I stated earlier, TSA allows items which CATSA and EU regulations do not permit in hand luggage. My hand luggage is usually opened and physically checked while it is rarely done in America when I travel with the exact same items.

In many parts of the world there is also more gate screening, and one must also show a passport or other approved document before boarding the plane, not just at check in and/or the security screening area.

Prior to 9/11, in America one could also be at the gate area when not flying, which was not the norm elsewhere. And in many parts of the world one cannot even enter the airport terminal unless one holds a valid ticket or boarding pass for a flight.