Al Qaeda syringe bomb attempt fails on plane
A young Nigerian man with reported links to Al-Qaeda allegedly attempted to blow up a US airliner as it began its descent into Detroit before being subdued by passengers and crew, officials said
Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, was badly burned in the Christmas Day terror attack as he tried to set off a sophisticated explosive device on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam with 278 passengers on board, witnesses said.
After being taken into custody, Abdulmutallab told the authorities that he had used a syringe filled with chemicals to mix with powder taped to his leg, according to senior officials quoted anonymously by US media.
White House officials and US lawmakers confirmed that the incident was a terror attack and President Barack Obama, on Christmas vacation with his family in Hawaii, ordered security measures to be stepped up at airports.
"We believe this was an attempted act of terrorism," a senior White House official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
After a conference call with top security advisors, Obama "instructed that all appropriate measures be taken to increase security for air travel," the White House said.
Syed Jafry, who was sitting three rows behind Abdulmutallab, described how one passenger in particular had tackled the would-be bomber, who was then dragged to the front of the plane by the cabin crew and isolated.
"He took care of that suspect. He handled him pretty good," Jafry told CNN.
