US orders security review after failed attack 27 Dec 2009 President Barack Obama ordered a review of US no-fly lists after a botched Christmas Day terror attack and demanded to know how a Nigerian man managed to board a Detroit-bound airliner wearing an explosive device. The databases used by US security agencies are under scrutiny after it emerged that the man who tried to blow up a jet from Amsterdam with 290 people on board as it prepared to land in Detroit was on one of their watch-lists. "There's a series of databases that list people of concern to several agencies across the government. We want to make sure information-sharing is going on," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
Al-Qaida links to Christmas Day plane bomb plot investigated --Officials investigate British link to Nigerian's plan to destroy US airliner 28 Dec 2009 Investigators on both sides of the Atlantic were last night urgently investigating the background of the would-be plane bomber, as international attention turned to al-Qaida's stronghold in Yemen. Scotland Yard and MI5 want to establish how Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was radicalised and by whom, and whether he had accomplices in the UK or the Arabian peninsula. He has told US officials that he met 'al-Qaida' operatives in Yemen who gave him the device which almost brought down Northwest Airlines flight 253 to Detroit and taught him how to use it.
Detroit terror attack: MI5 hunt for bomber's accomplices 27 Dec 2009 MI5 is hunting for possible accomplices of the Detroit airline bomber amid fears that he may have been planning to launch the attack from Britain. Security sources believe that Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, 23, may have developed links with other extremists during the three years he spent studying at University College London. The Security Service is concerned that the son of a respected Nigerian banker was "off the radar" [?] while living in Britain from 2005 to 2008 on a student visa. Little more than a year later he went on to attempt a terrorist attack after being trained by 'al-Qaeda.'
Terror suspect out of hospital, held at undisclosed location 28 Dec 2009 Investigators combed through Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's history Sunday... Abdulmutallab was released from a hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Sunday after being treated for burns, according to Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Detroit, Michigan. The 23-year-old is charged with attempting to set off an explosive device aboard a Northwest Airlines flight from the Netherlands shortly before its landing in Detroit on Christmas Day, and was being held in an undisclosed location, Balaya told CNN.
Airline bomber was barred from Britain --Man who allegedly attempted to blow up US jet had UK visa request refused in May 27 Dec 2009 The son of a prominent Nigerian banker, who allegedly attempted to blow up a transatlantic flight over America, was barred from returning to Britain earlier this year. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, graduated from a university in London last year but his visa request was refused in May when he attempted to apply for a new course at a bogus college. Abdulmutallab, described as a devout Muslim, attempted to ignite an explosive device on a plane from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day after shouting about Afghanistan.
Flight 253 passenger: Sharp-dressed man aided terror suspect Abdul Mutallab onto plane without passport 27 Dec 2009 A Michigan man who was aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 says he witnessed Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab trying to board the plane in Amsterdam without a passport. Kurt Haskell and his wife, Lori, of Newport, Mich., were returning from a safari in Uganda when they boarded the NWA flight on Friday. Haskell said he and his wife [attorneys with Haskell Law Firm in Taylor] were sitting on the ground near their boarding gate in Amsterdam, which is when they saw Mutallab approach the gate with an unidentified man. While Mutallab was poorly dressed, his friend was dressed in an expensive suit, Haskell said. He says the suited man asked ticket agents whether Mutallab could board without a passport. "The guy said, 'He's from Sudan and we do this all the time.'" Mutallab is Nigerian. Haskell believes the man may have been trying to garner sympathy for Mutallab's lack of documents by portraying him as a Sudanese refugee.
Unclear If Suspect's Name Was On Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment List --The list, maintained by United States National Counterterrorism Center, includes about 550,000 names 27 Dec 2009 The Nigerian man accused of trying to ignite an incendiary device aboard a trans-Atlantic jetliner on Friday came to the attention of American officials at least "several weeks ago," but the initial information was not specific enough to raise alarms that he could potentially carry out a terrorist attack, a senior Obama administration official said on Saturday... It was unclear whether Mr. Abdulmutallab’s name was entered into the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment list, which includes people with known or suspected contact or ties to a terrorist or terrorist organization. Those people, however, are not necessarily placed on the federal government’s so-called no-fly list, which prohibits persons entering the United States because of known or suspected [or imagined] terrorists links. Mr. Abdulmutallab was not on that list, federal officials say.
Airports raise global safety levels after terror attack on US jet is foiled --Police search London address as bomber suspect is revealed to have links to al-Qaida 26 Dec 2009 Security at airports around the world was stepped up yesterday after a student from a London university tried to blow up a transatlantic airliner carrying 290 passengers and crew minutes before it was due to land in the US... Yesterday MI5 was combing its records to establish whether Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had links to known Islamist groups in the UK. In May he was barred from returning to Britain when he attempted to apply for a new course at a bogus college. Scotland Yard confirmed it was liaising with US authorities as searches were carried out at properties in central London, including a student hall of residence and a flat in Belgraviaworth up to £3m.
Europe tightens security after foiled U.S. attack 26 Dec 2009 Airports and airlines across Europe moved rapidly to tighten security on U.S.-bound flights on Saturday after a man tried to set off explosives on a plane flying from Amsterdam to Detroit. Authorities in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands either increased passenger checks or reinforced security measures already stepped up ahead of the busy Christmas and New Year travel period, officials said.
Police search London flat in US plane bomb probe 26 Dec 2009 Police are searching a number of properties in central London as a man [Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab] is charged with trying to blow up a US airliner flying to Detroit. The Metropolitan Police have been searching a flat at an apartment block in Mansfield Street, central London, and other properties in the capital. Police have cordoned off Mansfield Street in front of the apartment block.
FBI says second Detroit plane incident not serious 27 Dec 2009 The FBI gave the "all clear" on Sunday after an investigation of what it said was a "non-serious" incident on an Amsterdam to Detroit flight. Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano said a Nigerian man was taken into custody by the FBI and no explosives were found. The man went to the bathroom repeatedly and did not respond to flight attendants' direction an hour before landing. "The Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated and the investigation shows that this is a nonserious incident and all is clear at this point," said Detroit FBI spokeswoman Sandra Berchtolv.
Food Poisoning Blamed In Second Northwest Flight 253 Bomb Scare --Nigerian Passenger Became 'Unruly' After Crew Forced Him Out of Bathroom 27 Dec 2009 A second scare of a possible bomb on Northwest Airlines flight 253 Sunday was the result of a passenger [a Nigerian petroleum engineer] who refused to come out of the bathroom because he was sick with food poisoning, law enforcement officials told ABCNews.com. FBI agents and local police swarmed the plane as it landed in Detroit after the pilot reported an "belligerent and uncooperative" passenger who had spent more than an hour in the bathroom [That's an arrestable offense?] as the flight neared Detroit.
Lieberman: United States Must Pre-Emptively Act In Yemen 27 Dec 2009 Sen. Joseph Lieberman, (I-Israel) a renowned hawk and one of the foremost champions of the invasion of Iraq, warned on Sunday that the United States faced "danger" unless it pre-emptively acts to curb the rise of terrorism in Yemen. "Somebody in our government said to me in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, Iraq was yesterday's war. Afghanistan is today's war. If we don't act preemptively, Yemen will be tomorrow's war. That's the danger we face," LIEberman said during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday."
Al Qaeda wing says will avenge Yemen raids: Web 27 Dec 2009 Al Qaeda's wing in Yemen said it would take revenge over raids against the group this month, which it said were carried out by U.S. jets and killed about 50 men, women and children, in an Internet statement on Sunday. The statement, dated December 20, appeared on Islamist websites shortly after U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Washington was investigating whether al Qaeda was involved in a Christmas Day attempt to blow up a passenger jet. "We will not let Muslim women and children's blood be spilled without taking revenge," Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula said in the statement.
Yemen confirms receiving US military support 27 Dec 2009 The Yemeni national security chief has declared that the country is receiving assistance from the US in the crackdown on what he called 'al-Qaeda operatives' in southern Yemen. Mohamed al-Anisi has told the Saudi Arabian newspaper Okaz that Yemeni forces were cooperating with the US military on attacks against al-Qaeda camps, DPA reported on Saturday. Yemen's confirmation comes as an ABC report revealed that US President Barack Obama had signed the order for a recent military strike on Yemen in which scores of civilians, including children, were killed.
US bombs Sa'ada governor's house, Houthis say 27 Dec 2009 A US fighter jet has carried out multiple airstrikes on the home of a senior official in Yemen's northern rugged province of Sa'ada, Houthi fighters say. The Yemen-based Houthi fighters say the warplane struck the home owned by the governor of Sa'ada province, Hassan Mohammad Manna in five blitzes. There were no reports on possible casualties in the attacks.
Officials Point to Suspect's Claim of Qaeda Ties in Yemen 27 Dec 2009 Federal authorities on Saturday charged a 23-year-old Nigerian man with trying to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day, and officials said the suspect told them he had obtained explosive chemicals and a syringe that were sewn into his underwear from a bomb expert in Yemen associated with Al Qaeda. The authorities have not independently corroborated the Yemen connection claimed by the man, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who was burned in his failed attempt to bring down the airliner and is in a hospital in Michigan. But a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said on Saturday that the suspect’s account was “plausible,” and that he saw “no reason to discount it.”
Elite U.S. Force Expanding Hunt in Afghanistan 27 Dec 2009 Secretive branches of the military’s Special Operations forces [commandos from Army’s Delta Force and Navy’s classified Seals units] have increased counterterrorism missions against some of the most lethal groups in Afghanistan and, because of their 'success,' plan an even bigger expansion next year, according to American commanders. Although President Obama and his top aides have not publicly discussed these highly classified missions as part of the administration’s revamped strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, the counterterrorism operations are expected to increase, along with the deployment of 30,000 more American forces in the next year. ['Success?' See: Taliban claim control of over 80pc of Afghanistan 22 Dec 2009.]
US drone strike kills five in NW Pakistan: officials 26 Dec 2009 At least five people were killed Saturday when missiles from an unmanned US aircraft hit a suspected militant compound in Pakistan's northwest tribal belt, security officials said. The missiles struck a house in Saidgi village of North Waziristan tribal district, which borders Afghanistan, officials said. "Two missiles hit a house, five militants were killed," an intelligence official told AFP.
Pakistan police: Detained Americans had maps of area where nuclear power plant located 26 Dec 2009 Police are trying to determine whether five Americans detained in Pakistan had planned to attack a complex that houses nuclear power facilities, authorities said Saturday. The young Muslim men, who are from the Washington, D.C., area, were picked up in Pakistan earlier this month in a case that has spurred fears that Westerners are travelling to the South Asian country to join militant groups.
Pakistan may charge 5 U.S. men in terror case 26 Dec 2009 Pakistani police are pursuing terrorism charges against five detained American men, police said Friday, a move that could complicate efforts to bring the men back to the United States, where they also could land in the courts. The case has bolstered fears that Americans and other Westerners are heading to Pakistan to link with al-Qaida [al-CIAduh] and other militant groups, and it could test a U.S.-Pakistani relationship already made brittle by demands of the war in neighboring Afghanistan.
Anti-government protests held in Iraq 27 Dec 2009 A group of 5,000 Iraqi Shiite protesters in the city of Karbala turned the religious observance of Ashura into a political protest against the government of Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki on Sunday, expressing widespread criticisms as the country prepares for a national 'election' in early March. The protesters gathered outside the Imam Hussein shrine to greet the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who had descended on the city. "We don't vote for people who steal public money," the protesters shouted.
Israel summons envoys from all over the world 26 Dec 2009 Israel's ambassadors and consuls generals from all over the world have been summoned to attend a conference to be held over global challenges facing Israel. The meeting to be attended in Jerusalem Al-Quds on December 27-31 is hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, the ministry reported on its website.
Obusha doesn't need 'death panels' - he has Sanofi-Aventis. US clears high-dose Sanofi flu vaccine for elderly 23 Dec 2009 U.S. health officials approved on Wednesday a high-dose influenza vaccine made by Sanofi-Aventis DA for people age 65 and older. The vaccine uses a higher dose to produce a stronger immune response and better protect the elderly against seasonal flu, the Food and Drug Administration said. The vaccine will be available for immunizing people in the fall of 2010 ahead of the[ir] next flu season, said Sanofi Pasteur, the company's vaccine unit.
Businesses to Push for Modifications to Senate Bill 28 Dec 2009 Businesses are set to push for modifications to the Senate-approved health bill, while urging lawmakers to steer clear of the version passed by the House. The Senate bill, which passed 60-39 on Christmas Eve with no Republican backing, has drawn tentative support from some large corporations and industry groups, despite containing a range of provisions that they hope to change. By contrast, businesses of all sizes oppose the House bill, which contains more-stringent requirements on employers to offer health coverage to employees.
Previous lead stories: Restrictions Rise After Terrorism Attempt 27 Dec 2009 Transportation authorities began imposing tighter security measures at airports on Saturday and ordered new restrictions governing the activities of passengers during flights as investigators conducted searches to learn more about the Nigerian engineering student accused of igniting an incendiary device aboard a Northwest Airlines jet as it landed in Detroit on Friday... According to a statement posted Saturday morning on Air Canada’s Web site, the Transportation Security Administration will severely limit the behavior of both passengers and crew during flights in United States airspace -- restricting movement in the final hour of flight. "Among other things," the statement in Air Canada’s Web site read, "during the final hour of flight customers must remain seated, will not be allowed to access carry-on baggage, or have personal belongings or other items on their laps."
Brown reassures as bomb hunt turns to London 26 Dec 2009 The prime minister sought to reassure the public today after it was revealed a student based in the UK is suspected of trying to bomb a passenger jet. Gordon Brown spoke as the Metropolitan Police searched the home of Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, who studied engineering at University College London. The Nigerian has been named by US authorities as the man responsible for trying to blow up a plane carrying 278 passengers as it landed in Detroit on Christmas Day. Brown said the incident had posed a "serious potential threat" and the government was prepared to take "whatever action necessary" to safeguard the public from further attacks.
Police lose battle over evidence of 'British 9/11' plot --Scotland Yard must reveal whether it had CIA intelligence 26 Dec 2009 Scotland Yard has been ordered to reveal whether it has any evidence to support America’s claim that Britain was saved from a 9/11-style disaster by the CIA’s secret foreign interrogation centres. The Times has won a case under the Freedom of Information Act forcing British police to say whether the US stopped a plot to fly planes into Canary Wharf and Heathrow. The claim was made by President [sic] Bush when he first acknowledged the existence of a clandestine CIA prison network created to fight his War on of Terror. Scotland Yard has been given 35 days to comply or appeal. If it admits that there is no such intelligence, it would undermine any political defence for America’s strong-arm tactics in fighting terrorism.
