Plane Bomb Suspect Joined al Qaeda in London (Met American Cleric in Yemen)

Source: Cyprus Mail

A Nigerian man accused of the attempted bombing of a US-bound plane on Christmas Day was recruited by al Qaeda in London and met a radical American Muslim cleric in Yemen, a top Yemeni official said on Thursday.

Yemen, the poorest Arab country, was thrust into the foreground of the US-led war against Islamist militants after a Yemen-based wing of al Qaeda said it was behind the failed bombing.

“The information provided to us is that Umar Farouk (Abdulmutallab) joined al Qaeda in London,” Rshad al-Alimi, Yemen’s Deputy Prime Minister for Defence and Security, told a news conference.

Abdulmutallab, son of a prominent Nigerian banker, is believed to have embraced extreme religious views during trips to Yemen to study Arabic and Islam. He also studied engineering at University College London between 2005 and 2008.

Alimi said that Abdulmutallab had met Muslim preacher Anwar al-Awlaki during his time in Yemen – a US-born cleric linked to the gunman who ran amok at the Fort Hood US army base in Texas in November.

more: http://www.cyprus-mail.com/international/plane-bomb-suspect-joined-al-qaeda-london/20100107