'Underwear Bomber' Faces Sentencing
DETROIT (WWJ) - Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian who admits he tried to blow up a Detroit-bound international flight with a bomb hidden in his underwear, will be sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Detroit.
Government prosecutors have asked for a sentence of life in prison with no possibility of parole, a punishment Federal Judge Nancy Edmunds is expected to go along with.
Abdulmutallab pleaded guilty in October to all eight counts, including attempted murder, conspiracy to commit terrorism and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
At that time, he read a rambling statement acknowledging that his actions violated U.S. law, but adding, "I call it a blessed weapon to save the lives of innocent Muslims." He concluded with, "You laugh at us now, we will laugh at you later."
On Christmas Day, 2009, Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam was landing at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with nearly 300 passengers. Prosecutors said Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate an explosive device he had hidden in his underpants. Abdulmutallab has said he was working for al-Qaida.
The device partially detonated. Alert passengers noticed smoke coming from Abdulmutallab's pants and quickly disabled him.
Abdulmutallab suffered severe burns to his legs. No one else was injured.
Stay with CBSDetroit.com and WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest.
