Terror on Flight 253: Does it Fit al-Qaeda's Pattern?
With the FBI releasing only sketchy details about the failed attempt to bring down the Northwest flight 253 in Detroit, many counterterrorism officials and experts caution against hasty conclusions. "This was clearly an attempted terror strike, but it's too early to say whether this guy was a lone, self-motivated terrorist or a part of a larger plot," says one counterterrorism official. "We obviously have to assume the worst, and investigate this thing down to the smallest details." Authorities say Umar Farouk Abdul Abdul Mutallab, a Nigerian native living in London, tried to set alight incendiary mixture strapped to his leg, but instead set himself on fire. He was overpowered by passengers before he could do any further damage. Abdulmutallab has reportedly admitted links to al-Qaeda; he also claimed the plot originated in Yemen.
www.time.com


Jasper Schuringa ID'd as Flight 253 Hero
Jasper Schuringa, a director from Amsterdam, has been identified as the passenger who helped subdue an alleged terrorist as he tried to detonate explosives on board Northwest Airlines flight 253. A high-ranking law enforcement official told CBS News that the suspect, identified by multiple sources as 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab apparently used a syringe to inject a chemical into powder located near his groin, a technique not seen in previous attempted attacks.
www.cbsnews.com