Al Qaeda Claims Responsiblity for Attempted Bomb:Revenge

Al-Qadea in Arabian Peninsula claims responsibility for the attempted bombing of Delta Flight 253 on Christmas Day. The attack was in response series of raid in December at n Al-Qadea camp.  US monitor messages via SITE Intelligence a website that keeps aware of Al-Qadea doings.

On Monday Al-Qadea acknowledges that the website posting had a “technical fault”; which means the site gives bad instructions to bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab that causes the bomb not go off.

The website message  has a picture of Abdulmutallab  and statement said “Nigerian brother” broke all security barriers for his operation, dispelling the “great myth” of American intelligence.

The bomb materials including explosive PETN was developed by mujahedeen by Al Qaeda “manufacturing department,” the statement added.

A second US Monitoring site  IntelCenter confirmed the  statement.

The  posting also calls for  Muslims  in Western Military to repent for their service and calls for them to kill all “Crusaders” by all means  necessary.

The Yemen Government said Yemen would not become a haven for Al Aqeda like Afghanistan is.

“Yemen is a land of peace and security, and will never be a refuge for these terrorist murderers and drug traffickers,” the defence ministry newspaper quoted a senior security official as saying.

“Our mountains will never be a new Tora Bora for them,” the official added, referring to the Afghan hideout where US-backed Afghan opposition forces came close to capturing or killing Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in December 2001.

“We will hunt them down until we have rooted out their terrorism and cleansed Yemeni soil of their satanic crimes,” the newspaper’s 26Sep.net. quoted the official as saying.

Breitbart News has the rest of the story.

Iranian Police Clash With Protesters

Iranian Police  attack protester on Saturday in Tehran. The protest on comes on police prepare for a series  demonstrations to Iran’s leaders during religious festival and mourning a Shiite cleric  an opposition website said.

The website Rah-e-Sabz site says that Iranian police including The Revolutionary Guard and the Basijis a paramilitary force in Iran sprayed the demonstrators  with tear gas and pepper spray trying force them disperse.

The  protest comes on the first ten days of the  Moharram a time mourning for a beloved Shiite saint.

Also Iranian protesters are mourning an opposition leader the Grand Ayatollah Hossien Ali Montazei who  died Sunday. Sources say more protest on the way.

AP via My Way News has more.

Terrorist Lived the High Life

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.

Breaking News:Terrorist Attack Averted on Amsterdam to Detroit Delta Flight

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:

Passenger ‘Tries To Blow Up’ U.S. Plane

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 Benendict Attacked at Mass

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

President Obama Has An “Agreement on Climate Change”

President Obama announce an agreement on  Climate  Change. The President says  we have an “unprecedented breakthrough” on Friday to reduce greenhouse gases including,  India, Brazil, and South Africa.

Each  nation in  this accord must list actions they will take to  greenhouse  gas emissions by specific amounts a White House official said. In addition, the  eight major developed nations must aid less developed counties to fight the effects of climate change.

There is one major obstacle The People’s Republic of China. President Obama met with Premier Wen Jiabao of China to discuss the terms of agreement. However  Premier Wen  sees it differently. China will not allow   outside inspector to monitor greenhouse gas reduction.

AP has the rest of the story.

Italian Prime Minister Attacked in Milan

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was attack on Sunday while signing autographs in Milan,Italy. Berlusconi was hit in the face by a miniature of the city’s cathedral.

Berlusconi 73, suffer two broken teeth, a small fracture of the nose and cuts to his  lip. The Italian Prime Minister tried to reassure the onlookers that he’s fine.

The alleged attacker Massimo Tartaglia 42, arrested with attacking the Prime Minister. Tartaglia  has history of mental illness and he does not have criminal record.

Tartaglia was with aggravated assault by Milan Police.

Immediately, after the attack Prime Minister Berlusconi was aided  to his feet his aids and placed in a  car. Then Berlusconi stepped out of the car and attempted to climb on top of car but but he was taken down and driven to hospital.

BBC has more.

At Copenhagen Summit Christmas Trees are Not Welcome.

If you are reading this from the  Copenhagen summit  and wondering where the are Christmas Trees with decorations sorry  you won’t find them The UN has banned the trees and the holiday decorations.  (The Nordman Fir is commonly  used for Christmas in Denmark) .

Why because Danish Foreign Minister spokesperson  Svend Olling who is charged practical planning for the climate summit decided to eliminate the trees.

Christmas is a  religious holiday and does not  belong at a United Nations function.

‘We have to remember that this is a UN conference and, as the centre then becomes UN territory, there can be no Christmas trees in the decor, because the UN wishes to maintain neutrality,’ said Olling.

Ironically, the Nordman Fir is the most ecologically sound there is. Firs are the best in holding down carbon dioxide from releasing into the atmosphere.

Copenhagen Post

British War Heros Ignore Prime Minister Gordon Brown

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown receive a rude awaking when he met wounded warriors at the prestigious UK  Hospital Selly Oak; he was ignored.

In September,Many of soldiers recovering at Selly Oak Hospital’s Royal Centre for Defence Medicine angered by the lack of support from the Brown Government decided not to meet with PM Brown.   The soldiers feel that this was a photo-op. The soldiers who chose not to meet him drew bed curtains closed.

There have issues of equipment shortages in Afghanistan and reducing compensation pay angered the warriors served  the United Kingdom Government faithfully only to be shortchanged by Whitehall led to the snubbing Prime Minister Brown.

One soldier said: “It is almost as if we are the product of an unwanted affair … he has done nothing for us.”

Sapper Matthew Weston, 20 one the most seriously injured soldier at Selly Oak want nothing to do with the prime minister. Weston was injured by a bomb on dirt road outside Sangin,Afghanistan. He lost both legs and his right arm.

Weston said, “I didn’t want to speak to him, I didn’t want to waste my time talking to someone who was just trying to make themselves look good. I spent the day with my family instead.

“Half the lads didn’t want to speak to him and those that did pretty much blamed him for everything. Many of the lads just closed their curtains and hid themselves away.

“I met Prince Charles and Sir Richard Dannatt [when they visited Selly Oak]. I have respect for them. Prince Charles spoke to me for two hours. I really didn’t want to speak to Gordon Brown.”

Times of  London has the  rest of the story.

Obama Announces Troop Increase and a”End” Date

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama announce that the US will send 30, 000 to Afghanistan over the next six months. The president also set a time-table to  leave Afghanistan in July 2011.

The amount of  30,000 troop members which was considerably less than Gen. Stanley McChrystal requested. The President hopes that’s NATO states would help contribute to the cause. A member of the Obama Administration says Andes Fogh Rasmussen will announce on Friday that NATO will increase troop levels.

The increase in troop levels to counter the Taliban expansion throughout Afghanistan and aid Afghan army and police to control nation. This will lead t0 the eventual take over by Afghan forces.

Robert Gibbs, Obama  press secretary says the White House talked about an “accelerated time-table.” During a series of Television interviews Gibbs spoke about quickly we get in  the quickly move out “We can’t be there forever,” he said.

Gibbs said there will be no  additional troop increases beyond what the president announced. Gibbs was on ABC’s ” Good Morning America” He was asked that If the President will send more troops if requested. Gibbs responded no,  “We can’t be there forever,” he said.

The initial plan is to send two brigades from the US Army and the US Marine Corp and reserves to Afghanistan which will be 30,000 over the next six months.

The Guardian has the rest of the story.