Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the accused Christmas Day 2009 “Underwear Bomber,” plead guilty at the U.S. District Court in Detroit Wednesday.
U.S. officials told USA Today that this successful conviction is a sign that terrorism cases can be dealt with in the civilian court system.
He told the court that, with the advice of his lawyer, he changed his plea to guilty because he wanted “to avenge the killing of my Muslim brothers and sisters.”
"The Koran obliges every able Muslim to participate in jihad and fight in the way of Allah," Abdulmutallab told the court as quoted by ABC News. "I carried the device to avenge the killing of my Muslim brothers and sisters... Unfortunately, my actions make me guilty of a crime."
In his lengthy statement to the court, Abdulmutallab said that while he may be guilty under U.S. law, he is not guilty under Islamic law.
He warned the court that more attacks will come if the U.S. continued to kill innocent Muslims.
"If you laugh at us now, we will laugh at you later," he said in the statement.
Abdulmutallab faces a mandatory life sentence on Jan. 12, 2012 in connection with the Christmas Day attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines jet in 2009. Prosecutors pointed out that he attempted to ignite a bomb placed in his underwear, but it failed to explode and he was subdued by other passengers on the plane.
