Topic: Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab

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In Pictures: Long may it wave: Flag Day 2011
Bare feet to pat-downs: Five big changes in TSA screening at airports

Security screening at US airports has undergone waves of changes in the years since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.
Five key members of Al Qaeda in Yemen (AQAP)

Here are five leaders and key members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
Top 5 attacks linked to Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki

The Yemen bomb plot has brought fresh scrutiny to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, of which Islamic cleric Anwar al-Awlaki is thought to be a key leader. Mr. Awlaki has not been officially linked to this latest attack, although Yemen – under international pressure to rein in AQAP – put him on trial in absentia today for plotting to kill foreigners.

Mr. Awlaki, a Yemeni-American fluent in English who has been on the radar of US intelligence and military for several years, has a track record of promoting attacks against US targets. Here are some of the incidents to which he has been linked:
Five reasons it will be hard for Yemen to 'destroy' Al Qaeda franchise

Five challenges Yemen's government faces as it tries to 'destroy' AQAP:

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Backchannels
Saudi's Al Qaeda intelligence coup and the perils of too much disclosure

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's second underwear bomb plot went nowhere thanks to great intelligence work. But this is a case where too much disclosure is a problem.
Vox News
Maher gives pro-Obama super PAC $1 million. Is that a good career move?

Bill Maher's routine is made up of political jokes all aimed at the GOP candidates. If no GOP candidate is able to beat President Obama in the fall, good material will be harder to come by.
Foiled suicide bombing of US Capitol: plot is both familiar and strange

Since 9/11, a series of would-be attackers – many of them 'lone wolves' – have been thwarted by undercover agents posing as collaborators. But an attempted suicide bombing is unusual.
Underwear bomber gets life: He never expressed doubt or remorse, judge says

Underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, sentenced to multiple life sentences, declared in federal court in Detroit: 'Mujahideen are proud to kill in the name of God.'
US to seek life sentence for underwear bomber, saying he remains a threat

The sentencing hearing for the so-called underwear bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, takes place Thursday. Prosecutors argue that he remains willing to carry out another martyrdom mission.
Mitt Romney then and now: 2008 vs. 2012 presidential run

Mitt Romney dropped out of the 2008 GOP primary race on this date in 2008, after winning 11 states. What did Romney say then?
Does defense bill's anti-terror provision deprive Americans of key rights?

The defense bill has cleared the Senate, and President Obama has withdrawn his veto threat, but concerns linger for some over whether a counterterrorism rider to the bill could deprive Americans of due process rights.
Backchannels
Is kidnapping older, unarmed civilians all that's left for Al Qaeda?

Ayman Zawahiri, the current Al Qaeda boss, released a recorded speech claiming credit for the kidnapping of veteran US aid worker Warren Weinstein.
With guilty plea, underwear bomber cuts short intriguing terror trial

The trial of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called underwear bomber, could have shed light on Anwar al-Awlaki and several potentially significant pretrial rulings. But he pleaded guilty.
Underwear bomber trial: Will it shed light on American cleric killed in Yemen?

The trial of accused underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is set to begin Tuesday. Will testimony support Obama's contention that slain cleric Anwar al-Awlaki 'directed' the failed plot?
Anwar al-Awlaki: Is killing US-born terror suspects legal?

Civil libertarians and some constitutional scholars say the targeted assassination of US citizens like Anwar al-Awlaki – even in war time – cannot be justified. The Obama administration says it's a matter of necessary self defense against terrorist attacks.
Anwar al-Awlaki strike: why it's important, but not a death-blow for Al Qaeda

Anwar al-Awlaki was one of Al Qaeda's idea men – a propagandist who inspired youth to jihad. The drone attack that killed him is a 'big setback,' but it doesn't hurt Al Qaeda's capacity.
Backchannels
Anwar al-Awlaki dead: what it means for US, Yemen

The assassination of Anwar al-Awlaki, a US citizen and Al Qaeda recruiter in Yemen, will be heralded as a major triumph in the US today. But it has very little to do with Yemen's own problems.
Terrorism & Security
Yemen sees resurgence of violence from militants, tribal fighters

Clashes broke out in southern Yemen, where government forces are battling militants they say belong to the local Al Qaeda affiliate. In the capital, they're engaged with tribal fighters.
Response to 'credible threat' shows how much has changed since 9/11

Al Qaeda may have been degraded since 2001. But the threat since 9/11 has become more complicated, decentralized and elusive with franchises, affiliates, and homegrown terrorists.
TSA defends searches of children, elderly, amid fresh complaints

After an elderly traveler complained of experiencing indignities at the hands of the TSA, the question arises: When do invasive searches become too invasive?
Terrorism & Security
At least 40 militants reportedly escape from Yemeni prison

Yemen's chaos could embolden militants, worry Western observers. But it's still unclear whether any of the reportedly escaped militants are from Al Qaeda.
The Next Wave: On the Hunt for Al Qaeda’s American Recruits

A TV journalist tracks the ‘next wave’ of terrorists – the home-grown variety.
In Pictures: Long may it wave: Flag Day 2011
Terrorism & Security
Islamist militants take over southern Yemen city

The takeover of Zinjibar is likely to bolster US concerns that the vacuum created by Yemen's unrest is allowing militant groups like Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to gain strength.
Is Anwar al-Awlaki's importance to Al Qaeda overstated?

Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki has been referred to as an Al Qaeda leader, strategist, or ideologue – and now, as a successor to Osama bin Laden.
The future of Al Qaeda and its likely leader

Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's chief strategist, is poised to take command of a group that has been in decline for years.
Why Yemen claims role in US drone strike on cleric Anwar al-Awlaki

President Saleh's government, besieged by protests and clinging to power, is hoping to prove its usefulness as the US pursues radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and other terror suspects in Yemen.
What the world learned about Obama from bin Laden raid

Obama took office amid questions about whether he could be a credible commander in chief – and showed personal fortitude and command capability in the bin Laden raid. How long will glow last?
Osama bin Laden and America's long journey from 9/11 to 5/1

The killing of Osama bin Laden means that, for the first time in years, there may be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.