Al-Qaeda have released a new video showing unseen footage of the notorious 'underpants bomber' Umar Farouk Abdulmuttallab undergoing jihadi training in Yemen.
The young jihadi is shown being indoctrinated by the notorious American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, the spiritual leader of al-Qaeda Yemeni franchise, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP.)
Umar Farouk is serving a life sentence in prison without parole after he attempted to detonate an explosive device hidden in his underwear whilst on board a commercial plane from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day 2009.
The fresh propaganda video includes old footage of the Nigerian jihadi participating in an ambush drill, most likely in a remote part of Shabwah province in Yemen.
Umar Farouk and two other recruits are shown jumping out of a pickup truck and pretending to open fire with toy handguns in a mock raid.
The narrator of the video makes a direct reference to the influence of Anwar, describing how 'Sheikh Anwar' had 'succeeded in implementing the group's goal on the ground by guiding young Muslim people in the west's Crusader states to bear arms in support of the Muslim world's cause.'
al-Awlaki is also shown giving guidance to Umar Farouk, telling the former student: 'Allah help you. Don't forget your prayers, especially the two prostrations of the Prayer of Need.'
The son of a wealthy Nigerian businessman, Umar Farouk Abdulmuttallab attended University College London, where he was president of the student Islamic society.
Only Umar Farouk was hurt in the failed plane bombing, with the terrorist suffering bad burns to his groin after he tried to trigger his bomb in his underpants.
His family later released a statement saying that they were 'grateful to God that the unfortunate incident of that date did not result in any injury or death.'
When he appeared in court, Umar Farouk chose to dismiss his lawyer and represent himself.
On the first day of his trial he told the court: 'Mujahideen are proud to kill in the name of God. And that is exactly what God told us to do in the Koran... Today is a day of victory.'
The following day, the bomber made a U-Turn and pleaded guilty to all the charges.
Social media posts were later uncovered revealing the troubled mind of the wannabe bomber, who often wrote about his loneliness and desire to get married.
The video provides fresh evidence that notorious radical Anwar al-Awlaki played a central role in training and inspiring young al-Qaeda recruits in terror camps in Yemen.
Much of the hour-long video promotes the career of the late cleric, who is seen in old archival footage. It also features Ibrahim al-Qosi, a senior AQAP figure, who spent time in Guantanamo Bay.
By Tom Wyke
