Northeast Intelligence Network

By Douglas J, Hagmann

UPDATE 9:00 pm ET 25 December 2009: Abdul Farouk Abdul-Mutallab (a/k/a Umar Farouk Abdul Mudallad), a 23 year-old Nigerian national, who is reportedly an engineering student at University College in London, UK, is the primary suspect in the attempt to detonate an explosive aboard Delta-Northwest Flight 253 as it prepared to land at Detroit Metropolitan Airport just before noon today. The suspect’s air travel originated in Lagos, Nigeria when he boarded board KLM Flight 588 to Amsterdam, where he then made the connecting flight aboard Delta-Northwest Flight 253 to Detroit. According to officials in Amsterdam, the suspect’s  stated purpose for traveling to Detroit was to attend an Islamic ceremony in Michigan. The suspect, who suffered second and third-degree burns on his upper extremities, is being treated at the University of Michigan Medical Center and will be transferred into federal custody.

According to a law enforcement source speaking to this investigator, the suspect is on several terrorism watch lists and is also reportedly on a federal no-fly list, although there is some confusion about the latter. “It might be the result of variations of the suspect’s name,” stated this source, although this source admitted it would be unusual due to the methods currently employed to guard against such omissions. This source also stated that there is “direct intelligence that links this suspect to al Qaeda in other countries beyond Nigeria, including persons of interest currently living in the UK and the United States.” The investigation in the U.S. is just beginning, and it is expected that “federal authorities will be interviewing at least three other individuals in the greater Detroit area,” he added. “The status of other aircraft and flights are also of significant concern,” stated this source.

Speaking to this investigator exclusively for Canada Free Press and the Northeast Intelligence Network, this law enforcement official stated that federal officials are “extremely interested” in how the suspect was able to circumvent security and bring the explosive device aboard the aircraft. Although security in Nigeria and at European airports is less restrictive [than inside the U.S], “this is most definitely something that should have attracted the attention of airport security, without any doubt whatsoever.” According to this source, federal authorities are looking at other possible scenarios on how the device made it aboard, and whether any of its components might have already been aboard the connecting flight.

Although the official response so far has not been to officially increase the air travel alert level, holiday travelers should be prepared for longer security inspections and extra screening. The timing of this attempt against an airliner destined for the U.S. could be significant, and this might not be an isolated incident. It was eight years ago this week that Richard Reid, also known as Abdul Raheem and Tariq Raja, was arrested for trying to detonate an explosive in his shoe during a flight from Paris to Miami aboard American Airlines Flight 63, a Boeing 767.

25 December 2009: An Islamic terrorist reportedly of Nigerian origin attempted to detonate a crude explosive device aboard Delta-Northwest Airlines Flight 253, flying from Amsterdam to Detroit as the plane was beginning to land at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.  According to a law enforcement source close to the Northeast Intelligence Network spoke to this investigator approximately 45 minutes after the man was taken into custody, the man who attempted to blow up the plane over U.S. soil is on numerous “watch lists and a no-fly list” and is known to have al Qaeda connections and contacts in the U.S. and abroad.

According to our law enforcement source, the Airbus 330 was carrying 238 passengers and was in final preparations for landing at Detroit Metro at approximately 11:30 am local time.  “As the passengers were being prepared for final approach, the suspect successfully lit a small, crudely fashioned powdered-filled device. It is believed that the device malfunctioned, although there was a relatively small popping noise heard throughout the cabin that amounted to what some described as a firecracker,” stated this source.  “Almost immediately, passengers near the suspect physically subdued him, and were assisted by two members of the flight crew,” added this source.

Additional information about the suspect, the device, and how the explosive was able to be brought aboard will be forthcoming.

It should be noted that the Northeast Intelligence Network and Canada Free Press and have been at the forefront of reporting with regard to numerous recent disturbances aboard aircraft by Muslim travelers.