Published: 7 Feb 2012 |
By Anneand 2 others |
Last updated: 13 Feb 2012
Northwest Airlines
Flickr-mrkathika
The Federal District Court sentences the Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab for trying to blow up Northwest Airlines flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day 2009. He intended to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear.
The "underwear bomber" pleaded guilty to all the charges against him and faces a life sentence. The terrorist attack was prevented by fellow passengers and crew members who subdued him and handed him over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers once in Detroit.
After being taken into custody, Abdulmutallab told authorities he had been directed by al-Qaeda and that he had obtained the device in Yemen.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as revenge for the United States' role in a Yemeni military offensive against al-Qaeda in Yemen.