Following Friday's failed attempt to reportedly blow up a transatlantic Delta/Northwest Airlines Flight 253, an Airbus A330 widebody jet with 278 passengers bound for Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport from Amsterdam, Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee said the following in a statement.
"Eight years after Richard Reid attempted to blow up an airliner with explosives hidden in his shoe, today's incident, on Christmas Day, is a disturbing reminder that the terrorist threat is still very real and that we must continue to be vigilant and alert.
"The White House is calling this an attempted terrorist attack. It raises some serious questions, such as how was this person able to bring an explosive substance aboard a commercial airliner? And what is the Transportation Security Administration doing to address this type of threat?
"I expect to soon be briefed on this incident by the Department of Homeland Security and I will continue to closely monitor the situation."
According to reports, the suspect is a 23-year-old Nigerian named Abdul Mudallad with alleged ties to al Qaeda.
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