Sunday, January 03, 2010
WASHINGTON: U.S. President Barack Obama has blamed a Yemen-based al Qaeda group for the attempted Dec. 25 bombing of a Detroit-bound plane.
In his weekly Internet and radio address, Obama focused on Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian who is accused of trying to blow up Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day, and his journey to Yemen.
"We're learning more about the suspect," Obama said. "We know that he travelled to Yemen, a country grappling with crushing poverty and deadly insurgencies. It appears that he joined an affiliate of al Qaeda, and that this group -- al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -- trained him, equipped him with those explosives and directed him to attack that plane headed for America."
"This is not the first time this group has targeted us," he said. "In recent years, they have bombed Yemeni government facilities and Western hotels, restaurants and embassies, including our embassy in 2008, killing one American."
Obama also highlighted Washington's desire to work with friendly countries to combat terrorism around the world -- singling out Yemen in particular.
"So, as president, I've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the Yemeni government -- training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al-Qaida terrorists," he said.
Obama has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the alleged bomb plot, which was thwarted when the attacker failed to properly ignite the explosives he had smuggled on board, strapped to the inside of his leg.
WASHINGTON: U.S. President Barack Obama has blamed a Yemen-based al Qaeda group for the attempted Dec. 25 bombing of a Detroit-bound plane.
In his weekly Internet and radio address, Obama focused on Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian who is accused of trying to blow up Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day, and his journey to Yemen.
"We're learning more about the suspect," Obama said. "We know that he travelled to Yemen, a country grappling with crushing poverty and deadly insurgencies. It appears that he joined an affiliate of al Qaeda, and that this group -- al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -- trained him, equipped him with those explosives and directed him to attack that plane headed for America."
"This is not the first time this group has targeted us," he said. "In recent years, they have bombed Yemeni government facilities and Western hotels, restaurants and embassies, including our embassy in 2008, killing one American."
Obama also highlighted Washington's desire to work with friendly countries to combat terrorism around the world -- singling out Yemen in particular.
"So, as president, I've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the Yemeni government -- training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al-Qaida terrorists," he said.
Obama has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the alleged bomb plot, which was thwarted when the attacker failed to properly ignite the explosives he had smuggled on board, strapped to the inside of his leg.
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