Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, the man identified as the attempted bomber of Delta Flight 253 comes from a wealthy Nigerian Ex-pats society. Son of banker and former Nigerian Economic Minister Umaru Abdulmutallab. The younger Abdulmatallab lived a life of wealth and privilege in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

Adulmatallab alledged bomber attempted to blow up  the trans-atlantic  flight with 80 grams of explosives.

Adulmatallab lived in 2 million pounds sterling flat in Central London. He  attended Univeristy College in London for 3 years.

The suspect charged on Saturday by US District  Court Judge Paul Borman at a meeting room at a Detroit hospital  with attempting to blow up an airliner. Abdulmatallab treated third degree burns.

Dr. Muatallab was planning to contacting authorities in Nigeria of his activities after discovering his son ties to Al Qeda terrorist  organization. He claimed to have contacted US authorities.

Scottland Yard is  Cooperating with US law enforcement agencies to develop a profile of the suspect.  Metropolitian Police is  investigating the apartment in Marleybone section of London and cordon off nearby streets.

The Independent has the rest of the story.

It is amazing to me to compare and contrast the Revolutionary War (since I wrote about the Delaware Crossing) with the fights we now endure.

In the Revolutionary War, the two British commanders were brothers – the Howe brothers. One commanded the fleet, the other the British Army – both had tried to talk King George out of attacking the Americans. (The got their commissions from their aristocracy but rose to their commands by merit.)

Admiral Howe told the King that even though he was given half the entire British Fleet it would not be sufficient to bottle up America because of the length of the American coast. General Howe told the King that defeating the Americans in battle was impossible, because they could melt into the population, or retreat to the Appalachian mountains, or disappear in the Frontier.  (The Frontier to everyone in 1776 was western Pennsylvania!)

The British had no allies (a situation we are now suffering)! The French and the Germans had been fighting the British for centuries, and not only would not help the British but the British had to keep half the fleet home to keep the French or Germans from attacking Britain!

The British spent a year trying to deflect the battle – but they wanted the taxes and they wanted Parliament to levy them. The Americans were willing to pay taxes, but wanted their local authorities to levy them. Neither side could square that circle.

The British hired Hessian Mercenaries to help fight (sort of like Blackwater), having tried to hire Russian forces and other European forces. The Hessians were almost all volunteers from a nation-state called Hessia where farming was the main income but the land was so poor that the Prince recruited and hired out his soldiers a a profit center.

The British considered several tactics to win the war – terror, which had won the battles for Britain against the Irish, Scots and several European nations. Basically that consisted of sacking and burning the towns – but the Brits tried that after the Battle of Bunker Hill, and that only angered the Americans to a higher pitch.

(It took the British three tries to capture Bunker Hill, and they lost 900 of their finest troops to death or serious injuries. That was not something they wished to continue!)

The Brits considered blockade, since the Americans had everything they needed to fight a long war – except gunpowder – but there were too many ports.

The Brits considered establishing forts, but decided the Americans could always mount an attack one fort at a time,

Finally, the Brits decided to take New York and operate on campaign at a time, some north, and some south. Their fleet could always control any river like the Hudson even if it could not block many ports at once.

The parallels are obvious, just reversed. We now mount armies while our enemy shoots from behind trees and melts into the population. We establish forts, which are susceptible to single massed attacks.

Slowly, with our Special Forces we are learning the Frontier skills again – small forces speaking the local language, moving quickly at night 

INDIAN FIGHTING!

How did we ever forget it? It won our freedom from the British!

Thanks to alert and vigilant passengers stopped an attempted terrorist attack on Northwest/Delta Flight on Christmas Day. A Nigerian man linked to Al Qaeda was on board Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit. He attempt to ignite a powdery substances when a couple passengers stopped the man.

The man and other passengers suffer burns. The suspect is in custody of Federal law enforcement.  Sky News Reports:

1:08am UK, Saturday December 26, 2009

Neal Walker, Sky News Online

The White House says an incident involving a small explosion on an airliner was an attempted act of terrorism.

Delta Flight 253 was carrying 278 passengers from Amsterdam to Detroit

A U.S. intelligence official said the passenger who ignited a “powdery substance” on the Delta Airlines flight was trying to blow up the plane.

The flight was arriving at Detroit’s Metropolitan Airport when the incident took place.

The suspect, who suffered third-degree burns, reportedly told federal investigators that he was directed by al Qaeda.

A U.S. intelligence official said the explosive device was a mix of powder and liquid. It failed when the passenger tried to detonate it.

Representative Peter King, who sits on the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, said the device was “fairly sophisticated,” and the suspect was a 23-year-old Nigerian man.

The White House says President Obama, who is on holiday in Hawaii, is “actively monitoring” the situation.

Obama spoke by conference call with national security advisers, and then “instructed that all appropriate measures be taken to increase security for air travel,” White House spokesman Bill Burton said.

Delta Airlines said two passengers were injured in the small explosion.

Delta Flight 253 was carrying 278 passengers from Amsterdam

H/T Jim Hoft Gateway Pundit .

And ABC News

Pope Benedict XVI was attack and knocked down as he walked to the main Altar at St. Peter’s Basilica to give Christmas Eve mass Thursday.

The 82-year-old Pontiff got on his feet quickly and resumed the processional to the altar. He was unhurt said a Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Ciro Benedettini. The incident caught on videotape  by Italy’s RAI state TV. The Image caught a woman dressed in a  red jumper climbing over the wooden barricades lunge at the Pope. Then the Pope’s bodyguards in turn caught the woman.

Police  say the woman was mentally ill.

The attack on the pope also knock down Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, a member of the Pope’s processional.  Cardinal Etchgaray taken to  Hospital in Rome for a   check up.

“During the procession an unstable person jumped a barrier and knocked down the Holy Father,” Benedettini told The Associated Press by telephone. “(The pope) quickly got up and continued the procession.”

The Pope went on to the Altar  and sit on the throne  as a choir sang the  pontiff sprinkle holy water on the altar then open the service with a peace        greeting in Latin: “Pax vobis” (“Peace be with you”). The faithful responded: “Et cum spiritu tuo” (“And also with you”).

The Pope did not mention the incident in his homily.

This was the second time in a year that security was breached. Last Year a woman jumped the blockade but the pope guards stopped the intruder.

AP via Yahoo News