Al Qaeda Takes Responsibility for Friday’s Attempted Terrorist Attack
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility, earlier today, for an attempted terrorist attack on Christmas day.
It was reported last Friday that an attempted terrorist attack that was planned to occur on a plane headed towards Detroit, Michigan was effectively prevented by enforcement officials. Earlier today, a statement was released by Al Qaeda representatives in the Arabian Peninsula that showed the terrorist group claiming responsibility for the attempted attack, according to CNN.com. A 23-year-old Nigerian, Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, is being held after an explosive device containing pentaerythritol tetranitrate was found sewn into his underwear.
The terrorist organization’s statement, which was unveiled on radical Islamic Web sites earlier today, shows representatives from Al Qaeda labeling AbdulMutallab’s efforts as a potentially “heroic attack.” The 23-year-old is suspected of intending to blow up an airplane that was carrying 300 passengers. Al Qaeda threatened further action against the United States in response to alleged strikes by the U.S. military in Yemen, stating, “Since Americans support their leaders they should expect more from us.”
CNN.com is reporting that AbdulMutallab’s family contacted the U.S. National Counter-Terrorism Center two months ago, after he disappeared from studying abroad, to warn them about his unorthodox behavior. CNN has been informed by a source with close ties to the ongoing investigation that the amount of pentaerythritol tetranitrate in AbdulMutallab’s possession would have been enough to blow a hole in the plane.