"The mujahadeen will wipe out the U.S. - the cancer U.S."

If Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, aka the underwear bomber had his way, that is. On trial now for the attempted bringdown of a flight on approach to Detroit he seems a bit more agitated in court than past appearances.  Shouting Anwar Al-Awlaki is alive will not endear him to the jury, and that white T-shirt is usually reserved for gang members, sure to win points with the jury.


And amidst all his rantings, no one will put Islam together with his words, there will be no analysis of why he says such things.  To do otherwise would make you an Islamophobe.




From Tampa Bay Online October 4 by Ed White


Airline attack suspect starts trial with outburst

DETROIT (AP) -- A Nigerian man accused of trying to bring down a jetliner with a bomb in his underwear made a defiant political outburst Tuesday, demonstrating again why his courtroom behavior will be closely watched throughout the trial where he's representing himself.

The man who represents himself in court has a fool for a client.  Mark Twain said that.

"The mujahadeen will wipe out the U.S. - the cancer U.S.," said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, scowling as he referred to Muslim guerrilla fighters.

When marshals removed his handcuffs, he also claimed that a radical Muslim cleric killed last week by the American military is still alive.

In nearly two years of legal proceedings, Abdulmutallab has normally been polite and studious in front of the judge and prospective jurors. But in the moments before court, he's shown a tendency to make comments reflecting loyalty to al-Qaida and contempt for the United States.

The 24-year-old is charged in federal court with trying to destroy the Amsterdam-to-Detroit flight on Christmas 2009. He has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is expected to last three or four weeks.

Prospective jurors were questioned one by one, and most were told to return Thursday for inclusion in the final pool of 37 to 45 people.

Abdulmutallab, who is acting as his own lawyer, briefly questioned a potential juror, who expressed concern about people possibly "waiting in the wings outside the courthouse," no matter the verdict.

"There could be people who would be angry and want to retaliate?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

Seriously, he wants the court to believe he doesn't think he did anything to warrant an angry mob?

There was no good indication how active Abdulmutallab will be when witnesses begin testifying next week. On Tuesday, he rarely looked up from the defense table and deferred most questions to Anthony Chambers, his court-appointed standby attorney. He wrote or read and quietly talked to Chambers about whether to request that a jury candidate be excused.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds reminded him that appearances are important. She firmly recommended that he not wear jail clothes and instead put on something that would make a "better impression on jurors," at least a shirt with buttons to replace an oversized white T-shirt.

Abdulmutallab asked whether he could wear a traditional Yemeni belt with a dagger - a request the judge swiftly denied.

And can I bring my 357 with me too, your honor?

He returned with a dark pinstriped suit coat over a full-length tunic, with a black skull cap.

Read it all