Site last updated: Thursday, April 30, 2026

Log In

Reset Password
MENU
Butler County's great daily newspaper

Dutch will use full body scanners for U.S. flights

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Netherlands will immediately begin using full body scanners for flights heading to the United States to prevent future terrorist attacks like the Christmas Day attempt by a young Nigerian.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, managed to board a Northwest Airlines flight to Detroit from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport carrying explosives but failed to successfully detonate them.

In a preliminary report, the Dutch government today said the plan to blow up the Detroit-bound aircraft was professional but called its execution "amateurish."

Interior Minister Guusje Ter Horst said Abdulmutallab apparently assembled the explosive device, including 80 grams of PETN, in the aircraft toilet, then planned to detonate it with a syringe of chemicals.

"It is not exaggerating to say the world has escaped a disaster," Ter Horst told a news conference.

Abdulmutallab arrived in Amsterdam on Friday from Lagos, Nigeria. After a layover of less than three hours, he passed through a security check at the gate in Amsterdam, including a hand baggage scan and a metal detector.

More in International News

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

* indicates required
TODAY'S PHOTOS