London, December 27: A 23-year-old Nigerian was charged by federal authorities Saturday with trying to bring down a Northwest Airlines jetliner as it approached Detroit.
The U.S. Justice Department said an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint alleges Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab set off an explosive device attached to his body as Northwest Flight 253 from Amsterdam, Netherlands, was making its final approach to the Detroit airport Christmas Day.
The Justice Department said a preliminary FBI analysis found the device contained a high explosive called PETN, also known as pentaerythritol. FBI agents also found what appeared to be the remnants of a syringe near Abdulmutallab’s seat that may have been part of the device.
“This alleged attack on a U.S. airplane on Christmas Day shows that we must remain vigilant in the fight against terrorism at all times,” U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said. “Had this alleged plot to destroy an airplane been successful, scores of innocent people would have been killed or injured.
“We will continue to investigate this matter vigorously, and we will use all measures available to our government to ensure that anyone responsible for this attempted attack is brought to justice.”
Justice officials said in a release Abdulmutallab required medical treatment and was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center after the plane landed. He was to make his initial court appearance later Saturday.
Justice officials also said they had learned from other passengers that prior to the unsuccessful attack, Abdulmutallab had gone to the bathroom for about 20 minutes, returned to his seat and then complained his stomach was upset before pulling a blanket over himself. Passengers then told authorities they heard popping noises similar to firecrackers, smelled an odor and some observed Abdulmutallab’s pants leg and the wall of the airplane on fire.
Passengers and crew then overpowered Abdulmutallab, and used blankets and fire extinguishers to put out the fire.
Passengers said Abdulmutallab appeared calm and lucid. A flight attendant asked him what he had had in his pocket, and he allegedly replied “explosive device.”
Meanwhile, Police Saturday searched a London apartment in connection with the jetliner attack.
An apartment in a row of mansions in central London was being searched by Metropolitan Police acting on information that a student thought to be Abdulmutallab lived there while attending University College London, the BBC reported.
“It must be stressed that the university has no evidence that this is the same person currently being referred to in the media,” school officials said.
The accused man has been talking to authorities since his capture, a government source told CNN Saturday.
Citing a “senior U.S. official who is familiar with the investigation,” CNN reported the initial impressions were that the suspect was acting alone and is not considered a hardcore operative of a terrorist group such as al-Qaida.
The Christmas Day incident was seen by the White House as an attempted act of terrorism, and early reports suggested the suspect has ties to al-Qaida.
–Agencies