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Attempted Terrorist Attack Details; Finding Employment for Homeless

Aired December 26, 2009 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHURINGA: When I saw that suspect he was getting on fire. I freaked, of course. Without any agitation, I just jumped over all the seats it. I jumped to the suspect. I was thinking he's trying to blow up the plane.

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WHITFIELD: An exclusive interview with a passenger who reacts and recalls what happened. An apparent attempt to attack a U.S. airliner failed and passengers and crew swarmed the suspect. Was it really a lone man plot or was it the work of a terror cell? Police searched this apartment in London.

Good afternoon everyone, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Authorities are questioning a Nigerian man who allegedly ignited an explosive device on a Northwest Airlines jet. It was about to land in Detroit on Christmas Day, on this flight from the Netherlands. In this exclusive photo, which was taken, you can see passengers and crew members actually tried to subdue the suspect before federal authorities then boarded the plane and were able to apprehend him.

He is identified as 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the son of a retired Nigerian banker. The suspect was taken off the plane and is being treated for burns and apparently Federal authorities say he is cooperating as they interview him. We have reporters digging into this story from every angle all over the map. Take a look from Europe as well as here in the states. Many of our reporters are in different positions to convey the different moving parts of this story. Let's go first to Martin Savidge in Detroit.

SAVIDGE: Fredricka, as you identified the subject, it is Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23 years of age, a Nigerian national. Currently he is hospitalized in a burn unit, but authorities are not releasing any information about his medical condition. It is only understood that he suffered third degree burns as a result of triggering that explosive device on board the aircraft yesterday. They will also say that he is expected to survive.

Authorities do admit that he is talking to investigators and revealing a great deal of information. They are just not sure how much of this information is absolutely accurate. Investigators have a long list of questions they want answers to. First and foremost, how was he able to get an explosive device through security and onboard an aircraft? Did he act alone? Is he supported by any sort of terrorist organization such as al Qaeda? And perhaps most important of all, are there others that are planning similar attacks such as this?

It was initially reported by federal investigators that they did think he was acting on his own without any terrorist affiliation. But now there is new information that has come to light that suggests that perhaps al Qaeda operatives working out of Yemen may have sent him on his mission. That is still being investigated.

Meanwhile, security measures domestically in the United States and internationally have been beefed up that is something you need to know if you are a passenger flying this busy holiday weekend. Plan more time into your itinerary. If you're an international passenger coming to the United States, you can expect more though searches. On top of that, you can also expect that your movements onboard the aircraft as the plane approaches the United States to be more restricted, especially as the plane approaches for landing.

Yesterday though, what it really came down to was not all the security measures and the billions of dollars that have been spent. It came down to the fast reactions of passengers and crew that really saved the day. On top of that, a little bit of luck. The explosive device apparently not as dangerous as the would-be terrorist would have liked to have seen. One of those who really came to the rescue was Jasper Schuringa, a passenger onboard that Northwest Airlines flight 253. He heard the explosion and he quickly went into action. Here is what he said to us in an exclusive interview.

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SCHURINGA: When I saw that suspect he was on fire. I jumped over all the seats and jumped to the suspect. I was thinking he is trying to blow up the plane.

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SAVIDGE: One of the quick actions he took was not just to pull the passenger out of his seat, but also to make sure that he had no other explosive device. Then you saw, as crew members came to the rescue with fire extinguishers, they put out the flames and then they took the man and handcuffed him and held him in first class until the plane landed and authorities took him into custody. Again, heroic actions on the part of passengers and crew and also a little bit of luck made for what could be considered a Christmas Day miracle.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Martin Savidge thanks so much in Detroit. And of course we're going to be hearing more from Jasper Schuringa a passenger on board a little bit later on in the show.

Meantime, our Homeland Security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve has been looking into how this suspect got a visa to the U.S. Jeanne earlier you mentioned he had a multi-year visa, but further complicated because even his family members got involved to let the U.S. Embassy and Nigeria know that he was up to something.

MESERVE: Yes, but first a headline Fredricka. A U.S. official and administration official now says that charges are going to be brought against this individual within the next hour or so. No specifics on exactly what those charges are going to be, but apparently the investigation has progressed to enough of a point that they feel confident they can bring charges against this individual. We are told that the investigation is still ongoing. In the words of one government official, we are still pulling the strings, meaning they are trying to find out who he is related to, who he might have communicated with, and who might have been behind this effort to bring down an airliner.

Meanwhile back to that visa. A senior administration official spoke to our state department correspondent Alease (ph) and informed her that yes indeed he was given a multi-year, multi-entry visa in London where he was a student back in June of 2008. This official says at the time there was no derogatory information about this individual in the system that would have raised any red flags or led them to deny him a visa. This official goes on to say, however, that the father of this man did contact the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria a few weeks ago to express his concerns about his son, that he had become radicalized, he was afraid he might be plotting something.

That information was passed on to the NTCT, that's the group that keeps the watch list here in the U.S. according to this senior official, he was put on a general watch list, but the information on him was not deemed specific enough to pull his visa or put him on a no-fly list. That's where we stand right now. We'll be awaiting those charges. We want to see exactly what detail might be in the court documents.

Back to you Fred.

WHITFIELD: Jeanne Meserve thanks so much. Appreciate that.

More now from Jasper Schuringa, he is the passenger who was onboard flight 253 who says he helped take down the suspect. I spoke with him earlier today.

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SCHURINGA: I reacted on the bang. Suddenly there was smoke in the cabin. People were screaming, fire, fire. First thing we all did is check to where the fire was. Then I saw the suspect on the seat.

WHITFIELD: How many rows back were you? Were you behind the suspect when this smoke --

SCHURINGA: I was on the right side of the plane. The suspect was on the left. There were quite some seats in between. When I saw that suspect, he was getting on fire. I freaked, of course. Without any agitation, I just jumped over all the seats. I just jumped to the suspect because I was thinking, like, he's trying to blow up the plane.

So I was trying to search his body for any explosives. Then I took some kind of object that was already melting and smoking out of him, and I tried to put out the fire. When I did that, I was also restraining the suspect. Then the fire started beneath his seat. With my hands and everything, you can see it's a little burned up, I put out the fire. Other passengers helped me, as well.

Of course I was screaming for water, water, because we had fire in a plane is not that good, of course. But then the fire was getting a little worse because what I did didn't extinguish the fire. I grabbed the suspect out of the seat because if he was wearing any more explosives, it would be very dangerous because he was on fire. When I grabbed him from the seat, the cabin crew came and came with fire extinguishers. They got it clear of all the flames. Just to be sure, I grabbed him with another attendant and we took him to first class and stripped him and detained him with handcuffs and made sure he had no more weapons or bombs on him.

WHITFIELD: Jasper, when you saw, you talk about how something underneath the seat was on fire. Was something on fire on him or was it, did it appear to be the seat that he may have set on fire and then as a result he also burned, as well?

SCHURINGA: Like he put something on fire that was hidden in his pants and apparently was dripping. I think the liquid or anything like that dripped on the floor and two pillows got ignited. It went very quick. Like we are all just reacting to the fire and everybody was panicking.

WHITFIELD: Tell me about him. Was he fighting you? Was he struggling? Did he seem upon discovery to just kind of let it go and you all were able to --

SCHURINGA: He was just very calm. He was shaking. He didn't resist anything. He was just sitting there. He looked like a normal guy, as well. It was just hard to believe that he was actually going to try to blow up this plane.

WHITFIELD: Was there anything about him prior to that incident that ever made you look at him? Did you suspect anything? Did anything catch your attention about him?

SCHURINGA: Nothing, nothing. It was a big surprise when we heard the first explosion. People were looking around; this is not good, what's going on? The first person shouted fire. I got to my sense and this is where I go.

WHITFIELD: Some of the passengers described it like hearing a pop. What did you hear prior to the smoke and fire?

SCHURINGA: First it was a pop. Like about 30 seconds later, the smoke started to fill up on the left side beneath this person. From that on, we just jumped and tried to save the plane. We did, luckily.

WHITFIELD: It sounds like you had an incredible response there, very quick. You think about international flights, often times when you get close to that dissent somewhere in that last hour on a transatlantic flight, many people have been sleeping, you're a little groggy. When you heard the pop, when you heard people talking about the smoke, how quick was it to actually react? Was there a moment where you said, really must be nothing?

SCHURINGA: I basically reacted directly. I didn't think. When you hear a pop on the plane, you're awake, trust me. I just jumped. I didn't think. I just went over there and tried to save the plane.

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WHITFIELD: So the suspect once lived in a pricey home in London. Counterterrorism police are now conducting searches there. CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is following that part of the story from London. Nic.

ROBERTSON: What we know here, this is an expensive set of luxury apartments behind me. This is where the police have been searching throughout the day. Earlier in the day, they were going into the building here in sort of forensic suits, sort of overalls the police wear when they don't want to contaminate a crime scene. Later on in the day, we've seen them going in, in perhaps more regular police uniforms. And what the Metropolitan police here in London say what they've been doing here is acting on information provided by the U.S. authorities and searching premises that are linked to the man picked up, the man who tried to blow up that aircraft landing in Detroit.

What the police have been doing throughout the day is coming and going, not telling the waiting journalists here what they are doing or what they are finding. But high on their agenda will to be ascertaining that anything here that provides information that would show that there is another terror plot in the planning. This man was linked to other people who might also be planning similar types of attacks. The investigation now is going into the night. The last few hours the police have put up this tape across the road here.

What is also interesting that we have learned about Mr. Mutallab, is that when he completed his studies here in London in 2008, and that is according to the University College of London where he was studying mechanical engineering for three years, according to his family, he then asked his family if he could go on and study in Saudi Arabia or study in Cairo. Perhaps this begins to give an indication of what was going through his mind. That when he completed his studies here, he was perhaps already, and this is an analysis here, this isn't fact we've been given, perhaps already becoming radicalized.

This is something that's been seen or exhibited by some individuals on some university campuses here in London. So there is a trend in the past that he might have fallen into. Again, this is just analysis at this stage. In June 2008, the university he was attending just around the corner from here says that he graduated from mechanical engineering and then left the university. Right now, the police still going through this building late into the night here.

WHITFIELD: So Nic, I am wondering you know some of our sources have said that while he left his studies, completed the studies there in London, that as you mentioned he wanted to go to Saudi Arabia, Cairo. His family said no but said yes to going to school in Dubai. Had he started his studies in Dubai and would maintain his residence there in London? Do you have any understanding as to why he continued to live in London or if that was his last place of residence as some counterterrorism experts seem to believe?

ROBERTSON: It wouldn't be unusual for students, and particularly those who come from affluent families and we understand that he came from an affluent family to have once studied here and revisit. It was not clear whether he was coming back using this residence here. However, British police acting on information provided by U.S. authorities, they say, and given Mr. Mutallab left the university here 1 1/2 years ago, it's strange to think there would be useful information for the police to discover here a year and a half later. It does tend to give the indication that he has passed through here in more recent times. Again, that isn't clear and isn't information the police are offering up right now.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So how are the people who live in that apartment building taking the fact that all questions and investigators are there?

ROBERTSON: When people come out of this building, there are a number of journalists here. Everyone tries to ask them questions. Mostly they just pass on and walk by. They don't want to answer the questions. Police are letting them in and out of the building by a side door. The few people that have been willing to talk have said that they were very surprised to find their apartment complex was subject to this investigation, very surprised to find out that this man who lived there may have been involved in something. This is a surprise they're expressing. They say they are not being inconvenienced by what's going on here in a moment. Most people leaving here are tight-lipped about what's going on inside the building.

WHITFIELD: Nic Robertson thanks so much, from London. Appreciate that.

This is a very busy time of the year for travel. Perhaps you are traveling this holiday season. Maybe you've been through the airport, somewhere within the last 24 hours. I want to hear about you about what your questions are about the security that you're encountering at the airports as a result of this attempted terrorist attack yesterday onboard a U.S. flight. Maybe you already experienced some changes. Maybe you have questions about what to anticipate as you head toward the airport. Send us your comments or questions, we will get some of the answers from the experts and share some of your stories, email me at my facebook page or my blog, CNN.com/fredricka.

All right. Still ahead, we'll hear what the White House is actually saying about this attempted terror attack. We'll also have a check on some of the other top stories making headlines today.

And why Iran could see widespread protests like this, this weekend?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: President Barack Obama learned about the attempted terrorist attack during his holiday trip to Hawaii. CNN senior White House correspondent Ed Henry joins us now live from Honolulu. What more is the White House willing to say right now about this?

HENRY: Well Fred, they are not saying too much publicly. But I can tell you behind closed doors, the president and some of his top security advisors are working closely on this, staying up on it. About 6:20 a.m. Eastern Time here in Hawaii, we are five hours back from the east coast, so just after 11:00 a.m. this morning Eastern Time, the president convened another secure call with two of his top aides John Brennan, his principal Homeland Security advisor, as well as Dennis McDonough, chief of staff at the National Security Council. We are told that on that phone call, got an update on the heightened air travel safety restrictions. We talked about that were implemented by the president just yesterday right after this incident.

Secondly, the president was updated on the criminal investigation that's developing over this suspect. Here is what I can tell you from a source, a senior U.S. official who is familiar with the investigation about what the president is being briefed on. Number one, he's been told that this was an attempted terror attack. Secondly, that this suspect is talking a lot to the FBI in his debriefings. They are trying to verify obviously what he is saying is true. But they are learning a lot of information.

Also perhaps most importantly, U.S. officials are telling the president that basically they believe the suspect acted alone, that there is no evidence yet suggesting that he had any formal ties to al Qaeda or another organized terror group, which is significant. Because it suggests this was not a wider plot. But I can tell you that this U.S. official familiar with the investigation says that basically federal officials have been combing through other flights, checking to make sure that there were not other bombs expected to be detonated. That's in part why we are seeing so many new air safety restrictions being put in place. Security restrictions we've been reporting on around the country, the White House wanting to make sure that this was an isolated incident.

Fred.

WHITFIELD: Ed Henry in Honolulu thanks so much.

A look at our other top stories right now. Police in London are searching homes and other buildings in connection with the attempted terror attack on this flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. No word on exactly what they are looking for. The suspect from Nigeria is being questioned by the FBI in the states. He is accused of igniting some sort of explosive or incendiary device as the Northwest Airlines flight was preparing to land in Detroit.

In Pakistan biggest city of Karachi, at least 21 people were injured by a roadside bomb. The blast went off near a procession of Muslims taking part in a holy ceremony. Right now no word on who was responsible for that attack. Another American military death in Afghanistan. The Pentagon says the service member was killed on Christmas Day in a bombing in a southern part of the country. That raises the U.S. death toll in the Afghan war to 848.

In Iran, a new unrest as oppositions march during a holy day. The events were violent and the protestors clashing with riot police, and the violence could get worse tomorrow. The holy period reaches its climax then. At the same time mourners will gather to remember a prominent cleric who died six days ago. The cleric was a leading figure in the 1979 Iranian revolution and he went on to become one of the current government's most vocal critics.

Back in this country, with the economy in the shape that it is in, finding a job is simply tough. Meet a homeless man turning things around with the help of a CNN viewer.

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WHITFIELD: A tale of a turnaround. CNN brought you the story of Tony Briones last month; a homeless Los Angeles man was unable to find work. But now thanks to a CNN viewer he has renewed hope that a job is out there for him. CNN's Casey Wian.

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CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): When we first met Tony Briones nearly two weeks ago he was living in his van spending mornings unsuccessfully looking for odd jobs at this Los Angeles Day Labor Center.

TONY BRIONES, JOB SEEKER: I would hope and pray I would get some kind of work, something going on to make extra money.

WIAN: The 54-year-old father of two, grandfather of five spent 30 years as a warehouse worker and in construction.

BRIONES: I was on a ten-foot ladder bringing hoses for the gas line. The ladder went one way; I went the other way and messed up my shoulder.

WIAN: Brione says he filled out hundreds of job applications without success. He is married with a severely disabled adult child at his former home. He no longer feels right living there.

BRIONES: Your kids, your grandkids asking for money and you don't got it. And your wife got it? She is trying to do what she can. Excuse me. I was born a man. I want to support my family and I can't. That sucks. Excuse me. Sorry about that.

WIAN: Today he has new hope thanks to Melissa Wolf, a CNN viewer who volunteers at Chrysalis, a nonprofit organization helping the homeless and people recently released from prison find jobs.

MELISSA WOLF, CHRYSALIS: He is a perfect example of somebody that can be assisted by Chrysalis. He's homeless, he has motivation. He really just wants to be given a chance at employment. When I saw that piece, I really wanted to introduce him to this program.

WIAN: Wolf helped Briones update his resume. Monday he arrived for his first day of job training classes.

BRIONES: I feel like a baby that took his first step. Like I fell off the bike and put the bike back up. They picked me up.

WIAN: Chrysalis says the recession has boosted the number of people using its job placement services by 40 percent since last year.

MARK LORANGER, CEO, CHRYSALIS: The types of clients have changed, as well. We are seeing more clients that have what we call underemployed, where they may be holding multiple jobs to make ends meet or maybe that they are not getting a full 40 hours a week, so they are looking for something better.

WIAN: For Briones, any job would be better that what he's endured. Last year, Chrysalis says more than 1,500 people or 80 percent of its clients found work at an average wage of nearly $10 an hour. One man who had nearly lost hope now believes he'll be working again soon.

BRIONES: Bless you guys for doing what you do to making my life more shiny again. You know? Don't think of the down side. Down side's over.

WIAN: Casey Wian, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And we'll get back to our top story. We're learning more about the suspect behind the attempted terror attack on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. Our Drew Griffin joins us in a moment with a closer look at who this suspect is and why his profile isn't what you might expect.

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WHITFIELD: An attempted terror attack on a U.S. airliner, here's what w know right now. A 23-year-old Nigerian man has been arrested and is being questioned by the FBI. The TSA says air travelers will see increased security as a result. And some airlines are telling passengers they will be prohibited leaving their seats one hour before landing. You're looking at the exclusive image there of the suspect being arrested, there, onboard that Northwest Airlines flight.

So, authorities in London say they are working closely with U.S. investigators. Police today searched this apartment in an upscale neighborhood near the University College of London. Officials say a man with the same name as the suspect was a student at the university from 2005 until 2008.

So, the attempted terror attack raised a lot of troubling security questions. For example, where were the air marshals and where does the investigation go from here? Drew Griffin of CNN Special Investigations Unit joins has been looking into this incident and he joins us now with more on what we have all been learning. And particularly, let's begin with the suspect, who he is. We painted a picture, last residence in London. He was going to school, majoring as a mechanical engineer. Now what?

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT: And not your typical dorm room-type housing for this guy. It was a very upscale apartment. What we've learned throughout the afternoon and reporting both here in the U.S. and overseas in London and Nigeria, is that this is the son of a bank president. A bank president from a major bank in Nigeria who actually stepped down and retired a few weeks ago. And this bank president apparently alerted authorities or the at least went to the U.S. embassy in Nigeria a couple of weeks ago and said, look, I'm concerned about my son. I really am concerned that he is becoming radicalized in some kind of Muslim belief that might lead to some kind of violence.

WHITFIELD: And they took that information seriously.

GRIFFIN: They took the information. But, remember, this is a father of a Nigerian in Nigeria going to U.S. officials. They're very limited, U.S. officials are, as to what they can do. You can't just launch an investigation in a foreign country. So, there has to be some kind of a cooperation with Nigerian authorities. If this man was in Yemen, were they able to get Yemenis involved? And this is all happening in just the last couple of weeks, Fred, so you really don't know at what stage this was kicked up to an investigative level.

WHITFIELD: But interesting, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, he is the suspect; however, he wasn't necessarily on a watch list, but he was in the purview of counterterrorism investigators, whether it was because of the father helping out a little bit to say here's a red flag. But that didn't stop this young man from being able to fly transatlantic.

GRIFFIN: Yeah. There's a huge amount of lists out there. There's watch lists, there's no-fly lists, meaning you can't get on a plane, there's a selectee list, meaning every time you get on a plane you're searched. I happened to have been on that for a little bit.

WHITFIELD: So, you know personal experience from this kind of listing, don't you?

GRIFFIN: And then there is also this kind of overall list run by the counterterrorism agency. About 500, 550,000 names of people, most of them from overseas. But just because they are on a list it doesn't require any action or activity. Perhaps, if that list had gotten out to the various agencies overseas, there might have been some additional screening. But again, this is all within the last couple of weeks, as far as we know, that this guy pops up on the radar. That is a quick amount of time to get that information all over the world to where this guy's imprint would have been.

WHITFIELD: OK, and quickly as we wrap it up, air marshals, apparently, no air marshals on this flight, not unusual, anymore.

GRIFFIN: Shouldn't surprise anybody based on what we reported here on CNN, that there is a very, very tiny fraction of flights actually covered by air marshals, air marshals onboard to protect the pilots in the cockpit. But, the air marshals tell me they would be scanning, looking through the crowds onboard and prior to boarding to see if there's suspicious activity. Of course, the passengers say there wasn't anything suspicious about this guy, but you know, you never know.

WHITFIELD: OK, excellent, Drew Griffin, thanks so much.

All right, new information coming from our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve in Washington.

Jeanne, you mentioned that there would be charges. What more do we know?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: They have come in a federal criminal complaint. He is charged with attempting to destroy a Northwest Airlines flight and with placing a destructive device on the aircraft. We've been reading over the affidavit which came in connection with these charges. A lot of this is information we've heard before, that he had this device attached to his body, that he was restrained by passengers and crew, taken into custody by customs and border protection. A preliminary FBI analysis found that the device contained PETN, also known as Pentaerythritol, a high explosive. Further analysis is ongoing, it says.

In addition, FBI agents recovered what appear to be the remnants of a syringe from the vicinity of his seat. In addition, it says that interviews with the passengers indicated that this man, Abdul Mutallab, went to the bathroom for approximately 20 minutes prior to the incident, telling people that his stomach was upset.

He pulled a blank over himself. Passengers then heard popping noise similar to firecrackers. We've been hearing that from some of the eyewitness accounts that we've had here on our air. He's report -- passengers reported that Abdul Mutallab was calm and lucid throughout. One flight attendant asked what he had in his pocket and he replied, "Explosive device." So, apparently very upfront about exactly what he was up to on that aircraft. We're continuing to read this. If there are new details we'll bring them to you right away -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Fascinating stuff. So, interesting information leading up to that moment of sound of a pop and flames and smoke and now we also know charges that are now facing Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab. all right, thanks so much, Jeanne Meserve in Washington. More from you a little bit later.

And much more from us right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, new information you just heard from our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, explaining that at least one charge is being imposed on that suspected terrorist that was apprehended there on the Northwest airlines flight Christmas day. Attempting to disrupt a U.S. Airlines flight is one of the charges. Also investigators are revealing they did find a chemical, PETN, which is, if I'm pronouncing this correctly, Pentaerythritol, a type of explosive. There were remnants of that and remnants of a syringe also located on that flight. And Jeanne was explaining people on the plane who said that it seemed prior to this incident where there was a pop and smoke and fire, that this suspect Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, was in the bathroom 20 minutes and when he came out of the bathroom and he was in his seat, he pulled a blanket on top of him and apparently a flight attendant had asked him what was in his pocket and he said something to the effect of an explosive a device.

So, that kind of information being revealed from Jeanne Meserve's sources. We want to carry that on to you, again. And we're also hearing from passengers who where onboard this Northwest Airlines flight 253. Among them, Richelle Keepman, she was onboard that flight. She is with us now on the phone coming to us from Wisconsin.

Richelle, you were actually traveling with children who had never been on a plane before, is that right, when all of this took place?

RICHELLE, KEEPMAN, PASSENGER: Yeah. We were actually, my parents and I traveled to Ethiopia. They were adopting two small children, a 6- year-old girl and 8-year-old boy and it was their first time on a plane. And unfortunately...

WHITFIELD: Give me an idea of what you witnessed, what you all's experience was during this flight.

KEEPMAN: Well, we were in the way back, by the grace of God, because it happened in the front and...

WHITFIELD: In 19-a which is where the suspect was sitting. You were further back.

KEEPMAN: Right, 40, I believe. And we heard a pop. It was almost like a balloon or firecracker, but I didn't think much of except right away some people up in the front began screaming.

WHITFIELD: And what was going through your mind at that point when you heard people up front screaming?

KEEPMAN: You know, my stomach, it dropped. I didn't know what was going on. You don't know what to expect at that time and you always think of the worst. So, you know, all of a sudden two flight attendants came, went running to the front of the plane and came running back with just -- that's when the fear started because the terror in their eyes told everyone that something was really wrong. And they ran back to the back of the plane and grabbed two fire extinguishers and that's when we started smelling smoke from the front of the plane coming to the back.

WHITFIELD: How close were you to landing at this point?

KEEPMAN: Oh, I think we were just a few minutes from descending and obviously, I think, that's when we planned to do it all along because it's the worst time. So, they had to do an emergency landing.

WHITFIELD: And when that took place, clearly, huge sense of relief, I'm sure, felt by you and many other passengers that you landed safely. What was being said on the flight? Did you hear any yelling? Did you hear any voices? Did you hear any kind of explanation or anything verbally?

KEEPMAN: You know, we were so far back we had no idea what was going on other than there was a fire in the front of the plane and I think everyone kind of knew that it was a terrorist attack where you just know.

WHITFIELD: And now hearing the details that this person, this suspect had started this fire, apparently was trying to bring down the plane, what's been your thought process upon hearing more details now about what took place on the flight that you were on?

KEEPMAN: Oh, you know, obviously, just fear and thankfulness because you know, his intent was to blow up the plane and that thought is so frightening. But, we're here and we're alive and I can't tell you how grateful my whole family is and all the rest of the passengers that I was with.

WHITFIELD: Well, Richelle Keepman, we're glad you are able to tell us this story and that everyone was safe during this very harrowing, frightening flight, as well. Richelle Keepman, thanks so much, joining us from Wisconsin.

KEEPMAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Other top stories right now we want to share with you. Actor Charlie Sheen is free on bail. He was arrested Christmas day in Aspen, Colorado, on domestic violence charges. Those charges include second degree assault and menacing, both felonies. He is scheduled to appear in court in February.

And a new look at five Muslim-Americans arrested in Pakistan as part of a terror investigation. A court extended their custody by 10 days to allow police to complete their investigation. Authorities describe them as college students who want to wage holy war. Pakistani police are considering filing terrorism charges.

And in Iran, new unrest as opposition protestors gathered in Tehran to mark a major holy day. The event turned violent with protestors clashing with riot police and the violence could get worse tomorrow. The holy period reaches its climax then and at the same time, mourners will gather to remember a prominent cleric who died six days ago. The cleric was a leading figure in the 1979 Iranian revolution. He went on to become one of the current government's most vocal critics.

The investigation into an attempted terror attack on a Northwestern Airlines flight continuing at this hour. Lots of unanswered questions at this hour, including, what happens to the suspect now that he has been charged? We'll talk about that straight ahead.

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WHITFIELD: Charges have been filed against the Nigerian man accused of an attempted terror attack on a Northwest Airlines plane flying from Amsterdam to Detroit, yesterday. Here's what we know right now. A federal criminal complaint says 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab intended to destroy the aircraft on its final approach to Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Abdul Mutallab is also charged with placing a destructive device on the aircraft, and sources say he is the son of a prominent banker in Nigeria.

Officials say he ignited a small explosive or incendiary device on his lap on board the Northwest flight 253 as the plane was preparing to land. And passengers and crew members extinguished the device and subdued the suspect.

An official familiar with the investigation says the suspect was acting alone and does not have formal ties to any terrorist groups. He's expected to make his first court appearance today, actually.

So, what happens now that the suspect has been taken into custody, and where will the investigation lead? Thomas Fuentes is a CNN contributor and former FBI assistant director of international operators and he's joining us now from San Francisco.

Good to see you, again.

THOMAS FUENTES, FMR FBI ASST DIRECTOR: Hi Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, reported earlier, based on her sources, the charges and then spelled out in a few other things, discoveries that were made as it pertains to this investigation, that apparently PETN, a chemical, Pentaerythritol, if I'm saying that right, was found either on him or in the location where this suspect was, and apparently it's an explosive. What can you tell me about that chemical? And in what form is it?

FUENTES: Well, as I mentioned earlier, the chemical would need some type of a containment, normally an introduction of other chemicals to ignite it and cause it to explode. So, as far as the form he had that in, again, the details of the chemical composition will have to be confirmed by the FBI laboratory at Quantico, Virginia.

WHITFIELD: OK, and that apparently remnants of a syringe were also located, which then you surmise some sort of liquid had to be one of the components of this concoction.

FUENTES: Right. One chemical would be added to the other chemical, and possibly that was the introduction was made by syringe.

WHITFIELD: And would it sound strange to you that according to eyewitnesses based on the sources that Jeanne has that he went to the bathroom, was there for about 20 minutes before he came out, covered himself and a flight attendant had actually asked him what is in your pocket, and he said an explosive device. So, if the 20 minutes part, being in privacy for 20 minutes to try and assemble, perhaps some, of these parts, does that sound right to you? Does that sound reasonable?

FUENTES: Possibly. It's hard to tell what he in fact was doing in the bathroom for that long of a time. He could have been praying, he could have been trying to continue his motivation to carry the attack out. It's hard to say exactly how long it would have taken him to prepare to physically do this attack.

WHITFIELD: Really at the root of this investigation, though, it will be so crucial for them to learn exactly what these components are, right? In order to even know how to be proactive, whether it be at airports, during screenings, et cetera, what to do next to try to prevent something like this from happening again.

FUENTES: Exactly. One aspect will be the significance of the components, how was the device or chemicals carried and put together? What was the training that he received to do that? Another aspect of that is working with the authorities around the world who may have connections to this case. A few minutes ago I was told by a senior Yemeni official that Sana'a Yemen is officially part of the investigation and working closely with the FBI and the U.S. authorities now to try to determine if he was in Yemen and what possible training he may have received or who he may have been involved with. But the Yemeni government wants to express that it is completely cooperating with the U.S. government to try to determine exactly if he was doing that.

And, secondly, reports that the foreign minister from Yemen was coming next week to the U.S., he said, are unfounded. That, that meeting continues to be scheduled for the end of January.

WHITFIELD: OK, and you know, working together, the U.S. and Yemen, do you see that as helpful or futile given that many have criticized the Yemeni government as being rather powerless, that al Qaeda really is kind of running the show, there?

FUENTES: Well, the challenge for the government of Yemen is very, very great. It's very gifl for them difficult for them to try to determine who met under what circumstances in that country and, you know, they have been cooperative, they have worked with the U.S. The FBI does have an office in the U.S. embassy in Sana'a Yemen and works closely in partnership with the authorities, there.

WHITFIELD: OK, Thomas Fuentes, CNN contributor and former FBI assistant, director of international operations, thanks so much from San Francisco, today.

FUENTES: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: When we come back, a quick look at the forecast with Bonnie Schneider.