 DETROIT -- Terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab pleaded not guilty Friday in a federal court in Detroit on a six-count indictment for allegedly attempting to blow up a Detroit-bound plane and murder its 279 passengers and 11 crew members.
| "Ya got nuttin' on me! Nuttin', you hear!" |
Mr. Abdulmutallab entered the courtroom just before 2 p.m. Friday shackled by his feet and wearing a white T-shirt, khaki pants and blued shoes.
He is accused of strapping explosives in his pants that failed to detonate and instead set him on fire on a Christmas day Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. His trip originated in Nigeria, where his father had earlier alerted authorities to his radical turn.
| Caught red-handed in fact, but somehow even the WSJ won't say that. |
Judge Mark A. Randon presided Friday, asking the suspect a series of questions during the brief hearing about his mental state and fitness to stand trial Friday. When asked, he told a judge he had taken pain medication in the last day.
| Because the burns hurt. Hurt alot. Bad. Really bad. |
Mr. Abdulmutallab made his first appearance in court amid crowds of journalists. Scores of Muslim Americans held up anti-terrorism mantras on posters and waved large American flags outside the coutroom. A handful of Nigerian-born Americans joined in, with signs such as "Nigerians Are Against Terrorism."
| Good. Help us find the rats hiding in this country and we'll believe you. |
Mr. Abdulmutallab will remain detained but has the right to a hearing on the matter. His next appearance in court was not immediately set Friday. |