Radicalized at a British university?

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The alleged attempt to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day sent a shock through the security system. Prosecutors say Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (pictured) tried to detonate a bomb sewn into his underwear. Abdulmutallab’s former London university is now launching a review into whether he became radicalized there. The World’s religion editor Jane Little reports. Download MP3

• BBC coverage
• ‘Jet bomber’ case
• Religion coverage on The World

“We are at war”

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In his report about the attempted Christmas Day airliner bombing, President Obama said “we are at war against al Qaeda.” The unclassified summary stated that US intelligence officials had received unspecified “discrete pieces of intelligence” to identify the alleged bomber as an al-Qaeda operative. The World’s Matthew Bell explores what the President means by being “at war”. Download MP3 (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

• Jeb Sharp talks with Matthew Bell about the President’s speech (Jan 7)
• Declassified report
• FAQ Jet bomber case
• Profile of ‘jet bomber’

The President’s report on Flight 253

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President Obama has spoken of the intelligence failures uncovered by the White House inquiry into the attempted Christmas Day airliner bombing. He said the government had the relevant information – scattered around the system, as he put it – to possibly prevent the attack, but failure to follow up on the information, coupled with a failure of analysis, had left the US exposed. Anchor Jeb Sharp talks with The World’s Matthew Bell about the President’s speech. Download MP3

• BBC coverage
• Declassified report
• FAQ Jet bomber case
• Best of BBC: “I boarded a plane with an aerosol can”

Entire program – January 6, 2010

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Today on The World: The debate over how to fix the way US intelligence agencies process the information they collect; also, why one region in Spain – Catalonia – is considering a ban on bullfighting; plus – Chinese violin-makers are turning out top-quality instruments…and making Italian violin-makers nervous!

New travel rules questioned

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New security screening procedures ordered by President Obama focus on passengers travelling from high-risk countries. Many countries on the US list are predominantly Muslim. University of Michigan professor Juan Cole tells anchor Marco Werman why he doesn’t think that’s such a good idea.

Afghan indicted in bomb plot

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An Afghan immigrant has been indicted by a grand jury in New York for alleged plotting to carry out bomb attacks on the United States. Najibullah Zazi, a airport shuttle driver, was detained last Saturday along with his father and another man. All three have maintained their innocence. Bruce Finley of the Denver Post is covering the story. Download MP3

• BBC coverage
• Department of Justice statement
• Denver Post story