Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, Underwear Bomber, Pleads Guilty

By Ed White -- The Associated Press

DETROIT – A Nigerian man pleaded guilty Wednesday to trying to blow up an international flight for al-Qaida with a bomb in his underwear, taking a federal court in Detroit by surprise on the second day of his trial.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab answered questions from U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds before pleading guilty to all eight charges he faced, including conspiracy to commit terrorism and attempted murder.

"Are you therefore pleading guilty freely and voluntarily?" Edmunds asked.

"That's right, yes," Abdulmutallab replied.

Edmunds reviewed the charges and possible penalties with Abdulmutallab before he entered his pleas, including that he faces a sentence of up to life in prison.

He's accused of trying to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 with a bomb in his underwear on Christmas 2009. The bomb didn't work, and passengers jumped on Abdulmutallab when they saw smoke and fire.

Prosecutors' evidence was stacked high. Abdulmutallab was badly burned in a plane full of witnesses. The government said he told FBI agents he was working for al-Qaida and directed by Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical, American-born Muslim cleric recently killed by the U.S. in Yemen.

There are also photos of his scorched shorts as well as video of Abdulmutallab explaining his suicide mission before departing for the U.S.

Comments

[1ccc1]

01:46 PM on 10/13/2011

Evidence stacked high, but evidence built without the underlying information that this situation, like other 'terror' propaganda schemes, probably would not have happened had the fbi and other gatekeepers chosen to stop him instead of enable him. And oh the coincidence, that just when Haskell was going to testify, now he pleads guilty. Fishy, very very fishy.

[Djay0252]

10:02 AM on 10/13/2011

It just goes to show you never know where you are going to be so always wear clean underwear...just like Mother said!

[Satirist1]

11:51 AM on 10/13/2011

There is no evidence Al Awlaki told him that.

[Djay0252]

12:54 PM on 10/13/2011

I am sure Al Awlaki would have cared less if he had clean underwear on...but Mother would have....lo­l

[caprawalie]

09:59 AM on 10/13/2011

He should be forced to become an underwear model for the rest of his life - a mortal sin for a muslim

[billsmith98]

09:48 AM on 10/13/2011

OK, Next step is to put him in the middle of a fooball field during halftime and give him his underwear back and allow him to pick up where he left off....

But paying for his upkeep for the rest of his life in prison???? bad idea

[rdavidw]

07:43 AM on 10/13/2011

One reason for guilty plea?

They were planning on showing pictures of his junk.

This Evidence while small played a Large role.

[Ferdinand Berkhof]

07:14 AM on 10/13/2011

Umar Farouk's ultimate punishment?
The knowledge that he will go down in history as the "underwear bomber",

[osofar]

07:06 AM on 10/13/2011

The Underware Bomber's fame was only for .....a brief while (fortunately).

[kodimirpal]

01:58 AM on 10/13/2011

Read the other side of the truth also

http://boo­ks.google.­com/books/­about/War_­on_Terrori­sm_or_Amer­ican_Strat­egy_fo.htm­l?

In his thought-pr­ovoking new book, War on Terrorism or American Strategy for Global Dominance, Shah Manzoor Alam, Ph.D. notes that although distinguis­hed scholars have produced works on the Afghanista­n-Iraq wars, none to his knowledge have analyzed the impact of this catastroph­ic war on Islam and on the Muslim world.

Dr. Alam feels that his book provides the missing Islamic perspectiv­e. The author critically examines the factors that motivated the United States to initiate action in the first place.

The defeat of the Taliban, he says, was welcomed by Afghans but the United States and NATO forces missed an opportunit­y to win their hearts and minds when they shifted their focus from economic reconstruc­tion in Afghanista­n to military action.

Dr. Alam goes on to critique the Bush Administra­tion s Surge Strategy, and what the author calls its disdain for diplomacy.

He is particular­ly critical of the brutal treatment of prisoners of war, called enemy combatants­, in the detention centers of Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, and Bagram which, according to Dr. Alam, violates internatio­nal convention­s and human values that America stands for.

On balance, the author also unequivoca­lly condemns Muslim Jihadists who kill innocent people.

Calling for flexibilit­y and a change in course by the American president because the people of the world are crying out for peace,

[Satirist1]

04:30 AM on 10/13/2011

Alam first practiced his data manipulation skills in the immortal masterpiece "Scientific Significance in Selected Quranic Verses."
Lucky for us this example of his penmanship in no longer in print.

'Nough said.

[kodimirpal]

07:52 AM on 10/13/2011

You are unable to debate his powerful arguments on the failure of American policies in Afghanistan hence your muddle and utter ridicule on a great scholar indicating your superiority complex

[JacksonD]

11:17 PM on 10/12/2011

Hmmmmm.... I read a report that Abdulmattab's attorney had called Haskell (attorney who saw a well dressed man say something to allow him to get on the plane without proper documents) to testify. Then he enters a plea deal. Must have made this guy an offer he couldn't refuse. Perhaps they don't want Mr. Haskell testifying to what he saw. It's one thing to write it all over his blog and stick steadfastly to the story, it's another for it to be part of testimony and well, reported on in the MSM.

[Satirist1]

10:36 PM on 10/12/2011

this Abdulmutabal received a considerable dosage of jihaidst indoctrination on university campus in London.
He is the fourth (!!!) president of British Islamic Student Societies directly implicated in a Jihadist terrorist act. In the last three years!

Let us hope we in U.S. manage to control this serious problem.

[1ccc1]

01:49 PM on 10/13/2011

It appears you have bought into a propaganda.

[Satirist1]

05:27 PM on 10/13/2011

I cited a fact. Cold. Sober. Irrefutable fact. Deal it.

[WeNeedNewChange]

10:07 PM on 10/13/2011

I haven't, instead fav and fanned you.

[1ccc1]

02:03 PM on 10/13/2011

I don't think we are managing anything, despite 8 Trillion is so called 'defense' spending just the last ten years. We are however, losing our rights, here, with the installation of a surveillance state. It may be wise to look at all the facts and 'coincidences' surrounding this matter and his sudden plea. Like the possible testimony by Haskell.

[Mike in San Pedro]

09:55 PM on 10/12/2011

Yet another example of how religion makes a person stupid.

[Satirist1]

10:31 PM on 10/12/2011

Absolutely.

[Satirist1]

09:32 PM on 10/12/2011

B-52s. Lyrics.
You burned a hole in my mind
When I saw your cute behind
Wearin' those hot pants
Hot hot hot hot pants, hot pants
Sizzlin' hot hot pants
Hot hot hot hot pants, hot pants "

[Satirist1]

09:26 PM on 10/12/2011

Fourth( !) President of Islamic Student Society of London in trouble for terrorism. Makes you think

[Doug Sandlin]

09:49 PM on 10/12/2011

What does it make you think?

I tried to find some independent information to verify your claim ... but all I got was a bunch of results from anti-Islam websites.

Do you have a link to a credible source, verifying your claim?

[Satirist1]

10:15 PM on 10/12/2011

The sad path followed by Sandin types.
Step1:Refusal ( or incapacity) to do basic search in favor of a snark.
Step2: When confronted by irrefutable evidence slinks away without an apology
Or
Step3: Sets up a smokescreen for hasty retreat.

[Relpo Miraculous]

10:20 PM on 10/12/2011

Those "anti-Islam" websites are all credible.
It's the pro-Islam ones that are not.

[afsergeant]

08:33 PM on 10/12/2011

For God's sake DO NOT make a martyr of this animal!! Lock him up in solitary for the rest of his sick life, and FEED HIM PORK AND NOTHING ELSE!!

[omobob]

07:49 PM on 10/12/2011

> Prosecutors' evidence was stacked high. Abdulmutallab was badly burned in a plane full of witnesses. The government said he told FBI agents he was working for al-Qaida and directed by Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical, American-born Muslim cleric recently killed by the U.S. in Yemen.

Oh the irony. One man in court being prosecuted under the Laws of the US Constitution while another suspect is killed without due process provide in the same Constitution.

[Okey Umez]

09:15 PM on 10/12/2011

Life can be ironic, sometimes. You can go insane, trying to make sense of things. We live in a World where, right or wrong, if you are able and capable of justifying your actions, anything goes.