Preliminary studies by the FBI indicate Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab from Nigeria had a device attached to his body which contained the explosive triacetone triperoxide, or TATP called “The Mother of Satan” by Palestinian militants, because its inherent instability makes it dangerous to both the victims and bomb maker.
The TATP in Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab device was “blended” with an explosive called PETN, or pentaerythritol tetranitrate, which can be ignited with a normal cigarette lighter. PETN is a key ingredient of Semtex, the Czech-made military explosive used to down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988.
“These bombs are sophisticated devices,” said a British intelligence official. “They would have been difficult and dangerous to produce. Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab could not have done this himself It seems there an expert bomb maker on the loose in Nigeria. THIS WAS THE SAME TYPE OF “BOMB’ USED BY ANOTHER MUSLIM TERRORIST RICHARD REID.
The 23 year old Nigerian terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab (Possible Facebook page) who tried to ignite a PETN based incendiary device on a Northwest airplane flight yesterday is in federal custody. The former college student in London told United states authorities he received his orders in Yemen, more from this source.
A preliminary FBI analysis found that the device contained PETN, also known as pentaerythritol, a high explosive. Further analysis is ongoing. In addition, FBI agents recovered what appear to be the remnants of the syringe from the vicinity of Abdulmutallab’s seat, believed to 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,” 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
Abdulmutallab required medical treatment and was transported to the University of Michigan Medical Center after the plane landed. He will make his initial court appearance later today.
Interviews of all of the passengers and crew of Flight 253 revealed that prior to the incident, Abdulmutallab went to the bathroom for approximately 20 minutes, according to the affidavit. Upon returning to his seat, Abdulmutallab stated that his stomach was upset, and he pulled a blanket over himself. Passengers then 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 subdued Abdulmutallab and used blankets and fire extinguishers to put out the flames. Passengers reported that Abdulmutallab was calm and lucid throughout. One flight attendant asked him what he had had in his pocket, and he replied “explosive device.”
These prosecutions are being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force. The public is reminded that criminal complaints contain mere allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty
