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USA: Terrorist attemp to set off explosive devise US jetliner foiled
26-12-2009
WASHINGTON, (Xinhua & Ananova): A man suspected of extremist affiliation ignited Friday a small explosive device on a Northwest Airlines flight bound to Detroit, an incident the White House considers to be a "terrorism attempt," officials said.
U.S. congressman Peter King, a ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee said the suspect is a 23-year-old Nigerian, who ignited the device prior to the plane's landing in Detroit, Michigan.
He has been named by ABC News as Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, an engineering student at University College London, with the broadcaster citing US government documents.
The suspect, who has also been identified as Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab in other reports, is currently under guard at a Michigan hospital.
He was flying from Nigeria to the United States for a religious ceremony according to his entry visa, ABC News said, which was issued on June 16 last year and valid until June 12, 2010.
The suspect, who suffered second-degree burns, were immediately subdued and was put under custody at a hospital.
All 278 passengers on the Airbus A330 wide-body jet, which landed at 11:53 a.m. (1653 GMT) local time, have since deplaned at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Delta Airlines spokesperson Susan Elliott said.
"Out of an abundance of caution, the plane was moved to a remote area where the plane and all baggage are currently being rescreened. A passenger is in custody and passengers are being interviewed," the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement.
It was not immediately clear if the suspect was subdued by crew or passengers.
The flight was originated in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and was operated as Northwest flight 253. Northwest is a subsidiary of Delta Airlines.
FBI Detroit office spokeswoman Sandra Berch told declined to comment on the reports of a terrorist connection.
But ABC News and Fox News said the suspect later told federal investigators that he was directed by al-Qaida.
A federal situational awareness bulletin noted that the explosive was acquired in Yemen with instructions as to when it should be used.
The Associated Press reported that the man was trying to blow up the plane but the device failed.
U.S. President Barack Obama, who is spending the Christmas and New Year holidays in his home state of Hawaii, was briefed on the incident during a secure phone call with aides and "instructed that all appropriate measures be taken to increase security for air travel," White House spokesman Bill Burton said.
But the president made no changes to his schedule.
The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement, saying that air passengers "may notice additional screening measures put into place to ensure the safety of the traveling public on domestic and international flights."
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