The notorious Underwear Bomber’s bomb may never have exploded, but apparently he did Tuesday morning in the opening of his federal trial in Detroit when he yelled out “Anwar is alive.”
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab outburst was in reference to Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born cleric killed by US forces in Yemen last week. Abdulmutallab has told authorities that al-Awlaki was a big influence in his life. Interestingly, he has previously told reporters they should stop reporting that Osama bin Laden was dead.
Abdulmutallab, 24, of Nigeria, boarded Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit during Christmas of 2009 with explosives he intended to detonate. The explosives failed and passengers pounced on Abdulmutallab when they saw flames. The plane was carrying 279 passengers and 11 crew members.
Abdulmutallab, who is representing himself in the trial, has been denied several requests by U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds, including his request to wear a “Yemeni belt with a dagger” and for the trial to be judged under Islamic law, according to the AP.
Abdulmutallab, facing eight charges including conspiracy to commit terrorism and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, has pleaded not guilty.
