The 'Underwear Bomber' gets his reward

Readers are doubtless aware that the so-called 'Underwear Bomber', Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who tried to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit in December 2009, pleaded guilty in a Detroit court this week, and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

It appears that personal modesty may have played a part in his sudden decision to change his plea.

[Abdulmutallab's lawyer] did however attempt to get exhibit 14 tossed out. It’s a photo of the severe burns Abdulmutallab received to his thigh and genital area. Judge Edmunds ruled that the prosecution could show the revealing photo.

. . .

... the confession came on day two which started with another sidebar and another hour long recess. At 10 a.m. Chambers informed the court that Abdulmutallab wanted to enter a plea of guilty on all counts.

. . .

I believe that one single piece of evidence, – a photo of his burned genital area – led to the guilty plea. I think this single, Muslim man would rather spend the rest of his life in prison than have a picture of his private parts passed around and display in open court for jurors and other strangers to see, especially women. The jury was made up of nine women and three men.

There's more at the link. Other accounts of Abdulmutallab's injuries suggest that, if the photograph had been entered into evidence (and hence become available in the public domain), he would almost instantly have become known worldwide by the nickname 'Stumpy'. This might add weight to the journalist's belief . . .

On the other hand, a couple of lawyers from Detroit appear to be trying to capitalize on the case of the 'Underwear Bomber'.

Curt Haskell would have been the lone defense witness if the trial for 24-year old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had moved forward.

Haskell and his wife, both local attorneys, were passengers on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day 2009.

... the couple plans to file a civil lawsuit saying they are convinced the U.S. government was involved.

“The government staged an intentional falsified terrorist attack that almost took our lives,” said Curt Haskell.

“We were greatly traumatized by this event, as well as intentionally smearing our good name by use of false propaganda in the media, i.e. fake passport, false statements of what happened,” he said.

Again, more at the link.

I think the Haskell's case is going to be rather difficult for them to prove in the light of the Underwear Bomber's full and detailed confession. Nevertheless, I've no doubt they'll try, hoping against hope for at least a token settlement. Even the publicity they receive, negative though it may be, might perhaps be useful in their obtaining more work as defense attorneys for future Muslim fundamentalist terrorists - or, at least, that's the way I see it.

I can only hope the Haskells lose their case as comprehensively and expensively as possible. There are other things I might hope for them, too, but I can't really mention them in a family-friendly blog like this. As for the 'Underwear Bomber', I can hardly wait until his fellow inmates 'get their Hanes on him'. I suspect they'll have their own ideas of justice.





Peter