London, January 03: British security agency MI5 was aware that Nigerian bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, whose attempt to blow up a packed US plane was foiled on Christmas, had “multiple communications” with Islamic extremists in UK three years ago, but did not share this with American officials.
Quoting counter-terrorism officials, The Sunday Times reported that Abdulmutallab was “reaching out” to extremists whom MI5 had kept under surveillance while he was studying at University College, London.
Officials said the 23-year-old Nigerian was “starting out on a journey” in Britain that culminated in his attempt to bring down Northwest Airlines’ flight 253 from Amsterdam as it prepared to land in in the US city of Detroit on Christmas Day.
According to the report, British officials have now passed a file to their US counterparts on Abdulmutallab’s activities in Britain while he was a student from 2005 to 2008.
–PTI