A passenger on an aircraft flying to the United States city of Detroit on Friday failed in his attempt to carry out a bomb attack.
Shortly before the plane landed, he attempted to ignite an explosion in a powdery substance. However, he succeeded only in burning his leg before he was overpowered and the flames were extinguished. A few other passengers were injured.
The man's name has been given as Unar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian who is listed in a US database of suspicious persons. Mr Mutallab said he was acting on orders from al-Qaeda and that his goal had been to cause an explosion above US territory. US media say he was following a technical course at University College in London.
US President Barack Obama, who is currently on holiday in Hawaii, was informed about the failed attack soon after it took place and immediately ordered increased security for air traffic.
Schiphol
Mr Mutallab travelled from Nigeria to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport in the Netherlands. There he changed planes and boarded Northwest Airlines flight 253. How he managed to smuggle the explosive substance on board the plane remains a mystery.
A representative of the Dutch Royal Gendarmerie said Mr Mutallab did not leave the airport’s transit area, where travellers transfer from one plane to another. Nor did he go through passport control.
Hundred-percent checks
Schiphol airport and the Royal Gendarmerie are declining to comment further on the case. However, the Dutch National Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism has let it be known that US authorities have asked all airlines whose planes fly to the US to increase their safety measures.
Therefore, with immediate effect, all passengers at Schipol airport will now be frisked before entering the plane and all their bags will be searched. The increased measures apply not just to Schiphol but also to all airports throughout the world.
A Schiphol representative said the airport does not expect the hundred-percent checks to cause too many problems because Saturday is a quiet day for travelling. The airport will put extra personnel in place to cope with any possible disruptions to travel.
Freedom Party demand
In the Netherlands, the Freedom Party (PVV) is demanding a meeting with Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin as soon as possible. The party wants to know how it was possible to smuggle explosives on board a plane at Schipol.
Dutch hero
Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf is reporting that Dutchman Jasper Schuringa, who was travelling on the plane, played a hero’s role in preventing the attack. Minutes before landing the 32-year-old entrepreneur from Amsterdam saw the Nigerian man stand up suddenly and set light to something. Without hesitating, he dived on Mr Mutallab and held him so he couldn’t move until after the plane had landed. In doing so he burned both his hands, ripped his clothing and lost his shoes.
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I want to send a great big thank you to Jasper Schuringa for preventing the pany bomber to go thru with his plans. The USA needs the reward you for your heroic actions. Oh, yeah that's right Obama is in charge. So no rewards for saving Americans. If I could I would reward you. I'm sorry this late in honoring you. Thanks again from this American. I am ashamed of our "President" 's posturing, apologzing for America. Most Americans are mad at him for his antics. Be well & God bless you, Jason. Fara Wallace, USA.
Jasper Schuringa. Bless his heart! I love him. However, consider that his act was perhaps not so much one of heroism, but one of pent up rage against the miserable little cockroaches that are overrunning the Netherlands and other decent western countries. Given the same circumstances, I would love to have an opportunity to pounce on a loathsome, filthy, abhorrent, pestilent, muslim piece of crap. He would not fare as well as this one did. They would have had to carry out the remains of his body in a thousand little plastic bags. Mind you, I would do this with my bare hands.
Wow, since long time I can actually be proud of being Dutch :D
Tribute and respect for all the brave who have contributed to the failure of that attempt terror attacks. And say Thank God because the plane landed safely and did not kill one innocent people
Luckily it failed.It it happened there would be an international incident and it would give an effect to the international community
Seems that the Dutch have picked up on the UK "PC" culture... I guess if you are black and Nigerian, you have the doors open everywhere, just in case you would be "offended" by being searched. I recently flew via Schiphol from outside the EU with a connection there to another EU country. I'm a white EU citizen and still the security took away from me a lousy bottle of alcohol I bouhgt in a duty-free shop and in a secure area, cos "obviously" that was a tremendous threat to security. Thank you Holland, thank you EU. What a lot of boll***s!
It isn´t about race, it is about who has money and a lot of it. The Bomb suspect came from an elite family, went to the best schools and was a spoiled brat. Apparently, the father of the suspect warned the American embassy that he had concern that his son was becomming radical with islamic radicals and the American embassy forgot to pass this crucial information to UK and the Netherlands.
The presence of mind of the brave Dutch man Jasper, saved hundreds of lives. But, airports need to be strict, you won't have likes of Jasper travelling every airline!
Afrique Africa Int. Justice .jasmin 27 December 2009 - 10:14am / India
The presence of mind of the brave Dutch man Jasper, saved hundreds of lives. But, airports need to be strict, you won't have likes of Jasper travelling every airline!..............................................................
AND WHERE WERE THE JOHN WAYNE SKY MARSHALLS. THESE ARE THE ONES HIRED DECADES AGO??
Bravo,Dutchman Jasper Schuringa! You saved hundreds of lives on flight and on ground, had the attack been successful.But what surprises me is that there is no article in praise of Jasper from rnw, and ofcourse no article on a young muslim terrorist boarding from Schipol. Where are the pro-islamic journalists of rnw, now?
Lets stop the blame game people, the Nederlands does it´s best to protect and assure safety, as I just said a in the other message, even USA is not 100 percent terrorist proof with it´s security. Let us be grateful that an intelligent Dutch man had the balls to take action and stop the terrorist before lives were destroyed!
Hiram, even American airports are not always 100 percent terrorist proof. If a Terrorist is determinted to get in, they will find a way to get through the cracks of security, but they will most likely be caught by someone as sharp and brave as Jasper Schuringa. Jasper Schuringa is an international Hero and I believe Holland and the USA owe him a huge reward!
Afrique Africa Int. Justice .sandrav 27 December 2009 - 6:52am / Nederlands
Hiram, even American airports are not always 100 percent terrorist proof.
DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO TRY AND BLAME THE DUTCH, OR ANY ONE ELSE THAT IS CLOSE BY. THOSE CHEMICALS GOT ON THAT AIRCRAFT AFTER GOING THROUGH U. S. SECURITY. BUT THAT IS TOUGH FOR HOMELAND SECURITY TO ADMIT TO!
If a Terrorist is determinted to get in, they will find a way to get through the cracks of security, but they will most likely be caught by someone as sharp and brave as Jasper Schuringa. Jasper Schuringa is an international Hero and I believe Holland and the USA owe him a huge reward!
THAT IS AN EXCELLANT IDEA! OR THE COULD HIRE HIM AS A U.S. SKY MARSHALL..
Wasn't the Dutch security services recently saying - the threat from terrorism - was not very significant. There seems to be this drive - within the Dutch authorities to want to - prove everyone wrong about - the troubles with Islam. [ Like - you were just dreaming - there is nothing to worry about - go back to your normal lives !! ]
But today - thanks to one brave Dutch guy - who was vigilant - may have helped avert a possible disaster and bring down a terrorist criminal.
There is always going to be some blame to go around -- but likely because it was Christmas - there is the temptation to let down one's guard - it is a vulnerable day!
"The party wants to know how it was possible to smuggle explosives on board a plane at Schipol.".......How? 1. He had help from associates who work at the airport. 2. Not performing 100% checks at the terminals. A representative stated "A Schiphol representative said the airport does not expect the hundred-percent checks to cause too many problems because Saturday is a quiet day for travelling." This statement means the passenger, who carried the materials on board the airplane was not checked. Why did he get on board the flight? Because the airport administration at Schipol was more concerned with expediting the passengers through the airport. They accelerated the process of security to the point that they failed in their obligations to protect the public. { Unar Farouk Abdul Mutallab was listed in a US database of suspicious persons. Even though he boarded in Africa, the flight manifest should have been put into an international database and shared with other airlines. Before, his flight from Amsterdam to the US, the Dutch should have submitted and ran all manisifests, leaving the Netherlands, to the approriate countries. { The Dutch failed at their responsibilities to the public because they wanted to quickly moved people through Schipol and look at the potential threat they let through for doing so. Whats so difficult in checking and sharing flight manifests? Mutallab was a suspicious person.
do americans ever check their"e facts? schipol DID send the passenger manifest to the u.s.a seems they never take any responsability, but always blame some one else.
"do americans ever check their"e facts?"........The facts are: "The man went through Dutch security and was not stopped. If as you said, the Dutch had sent the passenger manifest, then the Dutch knew they let a person travel through without stopping him or they were asleep at he wheel of their security and failed to do their job by paying close attention to who was on the manifest. It is asey to see failure in security was and it wasn't in the US. Why would the Us or any country take the blame for the Dutch security. They had the manifest and didn't pay attention to their job. It is quite simple!
like i said you will never take any responsabilty for any thing everyone else is wrong and you are always right .
"like i said you will never take any responsabilty for any thing everyone else is wrong and you are always right .".......Like I stated "If the Dutch had the manifest and forward it on to the US, why didn't they stop the man." You are the one who stated the Dutch gave the US the manifest. { The airplane departed to the US from the Netherlands; therefore, the Netherlands should have checked the manifest. { Relax, okay, this time the US is not at fault. The boys in Holland dropped the ball while it was in their court.
Hi Hiram, have you ever been travelling through Schiphol AMS airport? You would have noticed the particularly strict security for flights into the US... looks like an ARMY camp, with all the hi-end weapons, it's almost 'scary' but to be sure, that is all to the benefit of securing the passengers. The breakdown is in that indeed Mr. Mutallab WAS on a list but was not properly checked/screened... One cannot hold Schiphol Airport Authorities responsible for the obvious screw-up by US security authorities. Other than that, let's applaud the decisive action taken by Mr. Schuringa and his fellow passengers. Happy Holidays!
Afrique Africa Int. Justice .Rob Vierstra 26 December 2009 - 9:18pm / Canada
Hi Hiram, have you ever been travelling through Schiphol AMS airport?IF HE SAYS **YES** ASK HIM IF HE SAW ALL THE FLYS IN THE URINALS. HE COULD LIE ABOUT THAT._____________________________
You would have noticed the particularly strict security for flights into the US... looks like an ARMY camp, with all the hi-end weapons, it's almost 'scary' but to be sure, that is all to the benefit of securing the passengers. The breakdown is in that indeed Mr. Mutallab WAS on a list but was not properly checked/screened..._____________________________________________________________________
One cannot hold Schiphol Airport Authorities responsible for the obvious screw-up by US security
IF THE AMERIKKKANS CAN BLAME SCHIPOL FOR THE SCREW UP, I DEMAND THE SAME RIGHT TO STAND SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH HOMELAND SECURITY BATTLING TERRORISM **WHERE EVER WE CAN IMAGINE IT**.THERE MUST BE AN AMENDMENT THAT GIVES ME THAT PRIVILEGE!__________
Other than that, let's applaud the decisive action taken by Mr. Schuringa and his fellow passengers.___ Happy Holidays! AS YOU TRAVELLED IN EUROPE WERE YOU TERRIFIED/TERRORISED? DID YOU ENCOUNTER ANY EU CITIZEN DISPLAYING SIGNS OF BEING TERRIFIED/TERRORIZED?______________
SINCE AMERIKKKAN REBIRTH SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, I HAVE ENJOYED A FEW TRIPS TO A FEW EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND I NEVER ENCOUNTERED ANY EUROPEAN WHO WAS TERRIFIED/TERRORIZED. SO THE WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN ARE PAYING OFF! ALL THE TERRORISSTS EXCEPT FOR THE ORIGINAL 19 ARE BACK IN AFGHANISTAN!!!!!_____________________
IF YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT ALL THE STRANGE HIEROGLPHICS, I AM TRYING TO KEEP THE TEXT FROM GOING WHERE I DON'T WANT IT. I WAS AFRAID THAT HOMELAND SECURITY MIGHT THINK THAT I AM SENDING SECRET MESSAGES TO O0SAMA!!__________________________________________________
Rob, hi-tech equipment is okay and serves a purpose but it takes hi-tech people to run the equipment. You stated: "You would have noticed the particularly strict security for flights into the US... looks like an ARMY camp, with all the hi-end weapons, it's almost 'scary' but to be sure, that is all to the benefit of securing the passengers.".....Fort Hood loked like the desription you gave but you saw what happened. An airline flies past it's designation by 150 miles. Why? Pilots not paying attention to their jobs. Helicoptor and plane crash over river in New York. Why? Control tower staff not paying attention to their jos, and now security at Schipol let a suspicious person continue on to the US. Why? Not paying attention to their jobs. Also the airline industry doesn't want anything, including security, to hinder the people travelling througout the world. Why? They make big bucks. Happy holidays!
Here's to the Christmas Hero ,Jasper Schuringa, of Flight 253! Hoo Rah! Hoo Rah! Hoo Rah!
The American people thankyou!
Here's to the Christmas Hero ,Jasper Schuringa, of Flight 253! Hoo Rah! Hoo Rah! Hoo Rah!
The American people thankyou!
We need to get a mailing address of this hero Jasper Schuringa so we can all reward him! This man just saved a lot of lives and I appreciate his quick response.
Right on! Apparently Mr. Schuringa was just planning on a holiday celebration in Miamy (where he is now) and I'd suggest that Mr. Obama invites him to the White House in the New Year, on Jasper's return to The Netherlands as to recognize his decisive action!
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