Security Breach Blamed For Detroit Plane Terrorist Attack

Congressional Lawmakers Call Attempted Airline Attack Disturbing, Pledge to Hold Hearings


Congressional lawmakers are calling the attempted terrorist attack at a Detroit airport "disturbing" and "extremely serious," with at least one senator pledging to hold hearings, as authorities moved to increase security in response at U.S. airports over the Christmas weekend.

Congressional Lawmakers are calling the attempted terrorist attack at a Detroit airport "disturbing" and "extremely serious," with at least one senator pledging to hold hearings, as authorities moved to increase security in response at U.S. airports over the Christmas weekend.

An airline passenger, who claimed to have ties to Al Qaeda, was subdued Friday after he tried to ignite a powdery substance just before landing in Detroit, sources told FOX News.

The White House and lawmakers are calling it an attempted act of terrorism.

The passenger, one of 278 passengers flying from Amsterdam to Detroit, is now in custody, according to a statement from the Transportation Security Administration.

Reflecting the severity of the incident, a number of lawmakers were tracked down on Christmas Day to be briefed on the incident. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., House Minority Leader John Boehner and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, were among them.

Collins, ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, released a written statement questioning how the passenger was allowed on board and what the TSA can do to prevent such an incident from re-occurring.

"It is troubling that he was apparently able to bring explosive material on the airplane," she said. "This incident is a disturbing reminder that the terrorist threat is still very real and that we must continue to be vigilant and alert. It also raises some serious questions."

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said his panel would hold hearings come January.

"Any terrorist attempt on our citizens is extremely serious," he said.

Officials have identified the suspect as 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab of Nigeria. The suspect claimed extremist ties during questioning, said one source.

One official also said he was a student at University College London.

King, the ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, said Mutallab "definitely has connections" to Al Qaeda.

King said Mutallab was not on any "no-fly list," but one source familiar with the investigation said the suspect did come up in another federal database after authorities checked his name on Friday.

"This could have been catastrophic," King told Fox News. "We were lucky on this one."
King said there is no evidence that this was part of a larger plot.

FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials would not discuss the suspect's possible motives. However, DHS and the FBI have since issued a "situational awareness bulletin" to state and local law enforcement across the country, and to the airline industry, one source said.

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and President Obama have been briefed on the situation, according to spokespeople for both.

"Passengers may notice additional screening measures put into place to ensure the safety of the traveling public on domestic and international flights," DHS spokeswoman Sara Kuban said in a statement. "As always we encourage the traveling public to be observant and aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior or activity to law enforcement officials."

According to a TSA official, these additional measures could include bomb-sniffing dogs, gate screening, behavior detection and other precautions.

After being notified of the incident by a military aide, Obama, vacationing in Hawaii with his family, convened a conference call with his counterterrorism chief, John Brennan, and other national security officials, a White House spokesman said.

"(He) instructed that all appropriate measures be taken to increase security for air travel," White House spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement. "The president is actively monitoring the situation and receiving regular updates."

Northwest Flight 253 was close to touching down at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport when it declared an emergency on board, an airline official said.

King said Mutallab tried to set off "a fairly sophisticated device," and Mutallab was "seriously injured." Some other passengers suffered minor injuries, an airline official said.

King said the device "appears to be different from what we've encountered before" and therefore may not have been detected by airport screeners.

A source familiar with the FBI investigation said the device was affixed to the suspect's leg, and it was to be detonated with a syringe.

King said Mutallab boarded a plane in Nigeria and connected in Amsterdam on his way to Detroit.

Flight 253 was scheduled to arrive in Detroit at 11:40 a.m., but arrived shortly after noon, according to Northwest's web site.

The aircraft was "deplaned" and "out of an abundance of caution, the plane was moved to a remote area where the plane and all baggage (were) ... rescreened," the TSA said.



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Sources: Fox News, The Daily Beast, Google Maps