NOVANEWS
Hanan al Samawi, woman busted in Yemen for role in cargo plane bomb plot, was ‘set up’: lawyer
by crescentandcross
AP
Yemeni female students protest the arrest of female computer engineering student Hanan al-Samawi, 22, a student of the University of San’a, at the gate of the campus of the university.
Yemeni female students protest the arrest of female computer engineering student Hanan al-Samawi, 22, a student of the University of San’a, at the gate of the campus of the university.
Photo shows parts of alleged bomb sent to Chicago synagogues.
A woman busted in Yemen for sending explosives through the mail targeting Chicago synagogues was set up, her lawyer said on Sunday.
According to NBC News, Hanan al Samawi‘s lawyer claims she was nabbed by authorities because her telephone number was on the packages loaded with explosives.
However, the attorney argues that the fifth-year computer science student was not involved and the phone number was intentionally left to make her a suspect.
Terror groups such as Al Qaeda would not leave such a direct trace to one of their operatives, he argued.
The 22-year-old’s mother was also taken into custody, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways confirmed that at least one of the two packages flew on one of the airline’s passenger planes.
“Qatar Airways can confirm that a recent courier consignment was carried aboard one of its aircraft from Sana’a to Dubai via Doha International Airport,” reads a statement on the airline’s website.
According to The Associated Press, the package was then shipped on a separate Qatar Airways plane to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where it was discovered by authorities late Thursday or early Friday.
A second, similar package turned up in England on Friday.
The packages were headed for two Chicago synagogues, although British officials said they believe one of the bombs was meant to blow up a plane.
“I can confirm that the device was viable and could have exploded,” England’s Home Secretary Theresa May said on Saturday. “The target may have been an aircraft and had it it detonated, the aircraft could have been brought down.”