With guilty plea, underwear bomber cuts short intriguing terror trial

[Valin]

Christian Science Monitor :

Warren Richey
October 12, 2011


In this courtroom drawing, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (c.), the so-called underwear bomber, appears in US District Judge Nancy Edmunds's courtroom in Detroit with his attorneys Wednesday. He pleaded guilty on the second day of the trial.
Jerry Lemenu/AP

A Nigerian man accused of concealing a bomb in his underwear to destroy a commercial jetliner on Christmas Day 2009 pleaded guilty to all eight counts in his indictment on Wednesday.

The surprise move came on what would have been the second day of his high-profile terrorism trial in federal court in Detroit.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was facing charges that he plotted with Al Qaeda to carry out a martyrdom mission by blowing up a US airliner with 292 people on board as it approached Detroit.

(Snip)

Mr. Abdulmutallab, acting against the advice of his appointed stand-by counsel, decided to end the trial as it was just beginning. He read a statement in open court admitting responsibility for each of the charges filed against him, including conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism, attempting to destroy a civil aircraft, and attempted murder.

(Snip)

*Transcript: Read Abdulmutallab's statement on guilty plea

* You'll never guess who is to blame for forcing him to try and kill 292 people.

[RandyM]

I think I hear 72 virgins laughing.... can't tell if they're laughing at him or at us for coddling terrorists like him.

[clearvision]

Well be named the "underwear bomber" certainly did not help his cause with the virgins...