Al Qaeda group says responsible for Detroit air incident

A regional wing of al Qaeda claimed responsibility on Monday for a failed Christmas Day attack on a US-bound passenger plane, saying it was to avenge US attacks on the group in Yemen.

In a statement posted on Islamist websites, the group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula said it had provided the Nigerian suspect with a "technically advanced device" but that it had failed to detonate because of a technical fault.

The group also urged the killing of Western embassy workers in the region as part of an "all out war on Crusaders."

President Barack Obama issued a statement Monday during his holiday vacation in Honolulu, and said US authorities will not rest until they find everyone involved in the attack in Detroit and hold them accountable 

Obama said he has ordered a review of the nation's watchlist system and of its air safety regulations, and has asked his national security team to keep up the pressure on terrorists aiming to attack the US.

The president added that US officials are doing everything in their power to ensure Americans are safe. 

Obama's remarks were his first public statement on the Dec 25 incident in which Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, is charged with smuggling explosives on board and attempting to blow up a Northwest Airlines jet as it approached Detroit on a flight from Amsterdam with almost 300 people on board.

Abdulmutallab has told US investigators that al Qaeda operatives in Yemen supplied him with an explosive device and trained him on how to detonate it, officials said over the weekend.

Security system 'failed miserably'

The Obama administration admitted on Monday that the Christmas Day incident represented a failure of air travel security.

Asked on NBC's "Today Show" on Monday if the security system "failed miserably," US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano replied: "It did."

Abdulmutallab, who was traveling with a valid US visa although he was on a broad US list of possible security threats, was overpowered by passengers and crew on the Northwest Airlines flight 253 after setting alight an explosive device attached to his body. He was treated for burns and is in federal prison awaiting trial in the incident.

In Nigeria, Abdulmutallab's family said they had reported his disappearance to security agencies months ago after becoming concerned about his increasing militancy.

Obama is under pressure from opposition Republicans who have been critical of his response to the scare and have questioned whether his administration is doing enough to contain security threats.

The US Transportation Security Administration said it had stepped up preflight screening in the United States and Europe. The TSA did not give details, but air travelers described new restrictions on flights headed for the United States, including additional preflight screening, and – an hour before landing – a ban on movement around the cabin and on having items such as blankets on passengers' laps.

The security scare drove airline stocks down in New York. AMR Corp, the parent of American Airlines, lost 4.8% to $7.75, while Delta Air Lines Inc dropped 4.4% to $11.25. The NYSE Arca Airline index shed 1.7%.