World

Governments react to Delta flight passenger igniting explosive

by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | December 26, 2009 at 07:45 am

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Quote

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown confirmed that Scotland Yard was working with investigators in the United States. "Because of the serious potential threat posed by the incident, I have spoken to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan police, whose offices have been carrying out searches of properties in London," Brown said in a statement.

NY Times

This is an update of my Now Public story of yesterday. Other Now Public stories on the incident are in World, here and here and here.

The White House has declared the igniting of an incendiary device by a passenger on a Northwest Delta flight on Christmas day 'an attempted act of terrorism'.

Tighter security measures at airports were imposed by transportation officials on Saturday as FBI and transportation officials conducted searches regarding a Nigerian engineering student accused of igniting an explosive aboard a Northwest Airlines jet as it prepared for a Detroit landing.

Passengers helped subdue the Nigerian suspect as the plane landed at noon.

Now European governments are also responding with tighter security screenings for all flights.

As a result of the attack, British Airways announced on its Web site on Saturday that passengers flying from London to the United States would be allowed to carry only one item onto a plane. In addition, an official of the United States Homeland Security Department said Friday night that other unspecified security measures would be imposed at the nation’s airports. TheTransportation Security Administration was also holding a briefing on Saturday morning.
In London Saturday, Scotland Yard investigators mobilized to look into the background of the suspect, identified as Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, according to the Guardian andBBC news Web sites. The suspect is believed to be an engineering student at the University College London.

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snuffysmith

at 07:59 on December 26th, 2009

Naturally this would happen in the middle of the Christmas Holiday travel season. Airports are going to be a mess.

Susan Marie Kovalinsky

at 08:02 on December 26th, 2009

They sure will be.

Iffy (not verified)

at 14:07 on December 26th, 2009

The shocking thing is this: well-paid public officials FAILED to do their jobs, and left unarmed civilians to have to deal with this guy on a plane. I repeat: millions of WELL PAID public officials, from PM Gordon Brown to Prez Obama, to the security agencies, did the cowardly thing and failed to do their jobs. Merry xmas from your government!