Accused underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges, including conspiring to commit terrorism, in a major surprise on the second day of his trial.
U.S. officials called the successful conviction a sign that terrorism can be dealt with in civilian courts.
No sooner had proceedings gotten under way in U.S. District Court in Detroit than Judge Nancy Edmunds called a 45-minute recess to take up an important matter.
When Abdulmutallab returned, his standby defense lawyer, Anthony Chambers, said his client had decided to plead guilty – as charged.
Abdulmutallab, in fluent English, then read from a lengthy statement saying he was guilty under U.S. law, but not under Islamic law, for the crimes charged.
He said he tried to carry out the bombing in retaliation for the murder of innocent civilians by the United States in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Israel and elsewhere.
He warned that a calamity would befall the U.S. if it continued to murder innocent Muslims worldwide
“If you laugh at us now, we will laugh at you later,” he said in the statement.
He said committing jihad against the United States is one of “the most virtuous acts” a Muslim can perform.
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