Nigerian 'Underwear Bomber' Pleads Guilty on All Charges
A Nigerian man that was caught attempting to bomb a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day has pleaded guilty today to charges against him in a U.S. court.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab pleaded guilty to all eight charges against him and fully admitted to carrying a “blessed” bomb on the Northwest Airlines Flight 243 from Amsterdam to Detroit in 2009.
Abdulmutallab, 25, pleaded guilty in opposition to his lawyer’s wishes telling the courtroom that his foiled attack was an attempt at retaliation for the killing of Muslims worldwide.
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He added that he was guilty under U.S. law, but not under Islamic law.
He told the court today, “The United States should be warned that if they continue to persist and promote the blasphemy of Mohammed and the prophets … the United States should await a great calamity that will befall them through the hands of the mujahedeen soon.”
He continued, “If you laugh with us now we will laugh with you later on the Day of Judgment.”
Abdulmutallab faces a mandatory 30 years in prison but could be given a life sentence for some of the charges against him including conspiring to commit terrorism and using a weapon of mass destruction.
According to reports, Abdulmutallab conspired with Anwar al-Awlaki, the U.S. born al-Qaida cleric that was killed by U.S. forces in September in Yemen.
Awlaki’s death caused controversy in the U.S. with some critics suggesting that Awlaki was assassinated and that he should have been captured and put on trial.
Republican president candidate Ron Paul criticized the Obama Administration for the killing suggesting that the killing of American citizens sets a dangerous precedent of the President having the authority to be able to kill “people who he thinks are bad guys.”
