Suspect: 20 Others Trained to Blow Up Jets

(CBS)  By CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian and investigative producer Pat Milton.

British Intelligence has confirmed perhaps the most chilling boast that accused Christmas Day bomber Umar Abdulmutallab made to investigators after his arrest: that close to 20 other young Muslim men were being prepared in Yemen to use the same technique to blow up airliners, CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports exclusively.

"I think the fact we know that there are other operatives being trained by al Qaeda in Yemen is extremely troubling, and is the most dangerous dimension to come out of the December 25th event," said CBS News national security analyst Juan Zarate.

That is why, sources say, the U.S. government issued this directive last Sunday - announcing "enhanced screening" for "every individual" on U.S.-bound flights from 14 countries, including Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen.

Special Report: The Christmas Day Terror Attack

In addition, a team of FBI agents is now on the ground in the West African nation of Ghana, having arrived last Saturday, attempting to piece together Abdulmutallab's whereabouts and activities in the two weeks prior to the attempted attack on Flight 253.

FBI in Ghana to Track Abdulmutallab's Steps
Timeline of Abdulmutallab's Actions

According to a government official, Abdulmutallab first arrived in the Ghana capitol of Addis Ababa on December 9 after spending five months in Yemen.

U.S officials strongly suspect Abdulmutallab met Al Qaeda operatives in Ghana who may well have offered final preparations for his suicide mission investigating if it was there that the would-be bomber obtained the specially-designed underwear packed with highly explosive powder.

Christmas Terror Suspect Pleads Not Guilty

"One of the keys is to get to London, to Ghana, to Nigeria, to Yemen to find out who Abdulmutalab was talking to, what he was doing, what else may be at play here with respect to a pipeline coming out of Yemen to hit the United States," Zarate said.

[caseyjon]

Hey CBSNews, the capital of Ghana is not Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa is in Ethiopia. Accra is in Ghana. Duh.

[noloyalisti]

I actually think the Bushoccio Crime Family (including Rove and Cheney who are out of jail) are behind ALL of this. If they had done a proper investigation into who did 911 and who was behind it, we would have avoided a lot of the fraudulent scares and fake War of Terror (just think, a war on a TACTIC). We ain't nothin' if not stupid.

[noloyalisti]

Instead of worrying about these guys, we need to worry about the economic terrorists (the government-big corporation partnership) that have taken over the country.

We need to remember the prime directive: organize the bottom 99% who are being terrorized by the top 1%. Get with your groups and lets have a huge convention to decide who will run the country when we take it back from the elites. It is not black or white or Repub or Dem.

[msjb1]

I don't know If this guy could have noticed what was going on in yemen he looks like the dimmest bulb in the building.

[brianbwb-2009]

by 50BMS13 January 9, 2010 4:31 AM EST
brianbwb-2009 4:06AM EST
Kidding aside, do you really think that Al-Qaeda would be happy that Abdul is spouting off secrets of more hijackings? You would think they want that a secret wouldn't ya?"

Not supposed to break character, Grasshopper.

Of course they would be happy, no big secret revealed.

If one trained, do you not already suspect others?

Only detail is number of trainees, could be lie, could be 200 trainees, maybe 2,000, who know?

Child only know of 20.

Again good tactic, cause panic.

Make "white" man afraid, "white" man then begin harming Africans, including African Americans.

Confucius say, "Then poop really hit fan."

[brianbwb-2009]

by 50BMS13 January 9, 2010 4:31 AM EST
brianbwb-2009 4:06AM EST
Kidding aside, do you really think that Al-Qaeda would be happy that Abdul is spouting off secrets of more hijackings? You would think they want that a secret wouldn't ya?"

Not supposed to break character, Grasshopper.

Of course they would be happy, no big secret revealed.

If one trained, do you not already suspect others?

Only detail is number of trainees, could be lie, could be 200 trainees, maybe 2,000, who know?

Child only know of 20.

Again good tactic, cause panic.

Make "white" man afraid, "white" man then begin harming Africans, including African Americans.

Confucius say, "Then poop really hit fan."

[brianbwb-2009]

So, Mr. Armen Keteyan, which is it?

When you write,

"According to a government official, Abdulmutallab first arrived in the Ghana capitol of Addis Ababa on December 9 after spending five months in Yemen."

Does it mean that the government official lied, seeing as though Addis Ababa is the capitol of Ethiopia, thousands of miles from Ghana, whose capitol is Accra?

Did he actually say "Addis Ababa, capitol of Ghana"

Or did you somehow hear it wrong, somehow mistaking Addis Ababa for Accra, or maybe "capitol of Ethiopia" for "capitol of Ghana"?

If we are going to send more soldiers to get their faces blown off, and be again humiliated in a "third world" country, we wouldn't want to have them in the wrong country, now would we?

[reimer211]

er, rather, this pertained to the post below yours. Oh well, LOL

[brianbwb-2009]

"by 50BMS13 January 9, 2010 3:36 AM EST
brianbwb-2009
Master.....don't fly Yemen Air....too dangerous master..."

Ah, Grasshopper, Confucius say plane than land in Detroit, not Yemen Air.

[50BMS13]

brianbwb-2009 3:51AM EST
Yes master....one got through the cracks. Don't fly Delta Airlines to the United States from Yemen master...you are all wise master

[brianbwb-2009]

Ah, again grasshopper, plane land in Detroit, take off from Amsterdam.

You must use all senses, be aware of all details, even those which seem unimportant.

Understanding is key to winning battle, grasshopper.

[brianbwb-2009]

I know most of the "whites" won't notice this, to them we all look alike, but the picture in the CBS video, and the photo below it are not the same person, unless the person in the video has had plastic surgery.