Brits knew underwear bombers reached out to extremist

Sunday Times:

The security services knew three years ago that the Detroit bomber had “multiple communications” with Islamic extremists in Britain, it emerged this weekend.

Counterterrorism officials said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was “reaching out” to extremists whom MI5 had under surveillance while he was studying at University College London.

Officials said the 23-year-old Nigerian was “starting out on a journey” in Britain that culminated in his attempt to bring down flight 253 as it prepared to land in Detroit, Michigan, on Christmas Day.

None of the information was passed to American officials, which will prompt questions about intelligence failures prior to the attack.

British officials have now passed a file to their US counterparts on Abdulmutallab’s activities in Britain while he was a student from 2005 to 2008. It shows his repeated contacts with MI5 targets who were subject to phone taps, email intercepts and other forms of surveillance.

Intelligence officials have defended their decision not to flag Abdulmutallab as a possible terrorist risk. They say he was one of many youths who mix with extremists, but are not themselves thought to be involved in plotting or supporting terrorism.

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At that point he may have been, but when the Brits denied him reentry into the country because he was going to attend a bogus school, that should have been a red flag for them to disclose to the US. At some point the material became relevant and it is too bad no one noticed before he tried to destroy an airpland and its passengers in a mass murder for Allah operation.