Washington: More bombers are on their way to
target America, the Nigerian al Qaeda suspect charged for
trying to blow up a US airliner has told FBI, setting alarm
bells among intelligence and security apparatus here.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab told FBI that "there were more
just like him in Yemen and would strike soon," the ABC News
reported quoting officials familiar with the investigation.
A tape released by al Qaeda leaders in Yemen some four
days before the failed attempt to blow up the US plane, had
said that "we are carrying bomb to hit the enemies of God".
Abdulmutallab, 23, has been charged with attempting to
blow up the US plane and planting an explosive device on it.
He was arrested soon after his failed bid to ignite
explosives inside the Amsterdam-Detroit Northwest Airlines
flight 253 on Christmas Day with nearly 300 people on board.
The explosive was identified as PETN -- pentaerythritol
tetranitrate? Which was concealed in his underwear.
According to news reports, Abdulmutallab has told FBI
that he was trained for more than a month in Yemen, given 80
grams of a high explosive cleverly sewn into his underpants,
that went undetected by standard security screening.
"They know that this is a weakness and an Achilles'
heel in our airport security system," said ABC News consultant
and former counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke.
Federal authorities met today to reassess the system of
terror watchlists to determine how to avoid the lapse that
allowed a man with explosives to board flight even though he
was flagged as a possible terrorist, CBS news said.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 29, 2009, 13:49