Islamic school in Houston says accused airliner attacker attended 2-week class in August 2008

Accused airline attacker attended Houston class

HOUSTON — The man accused of trying to bring down a Detroit-bound U.S. airliner on Christmas Day spent two weeks in Houston last year attending a seminar conducted by a Web-based Islamic education center.

Waleed Basyouni is the vice president of the AlMaghrib (ahl-MAHG’-rihb) Institute. He says Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (OO’-mahr fah-ROOK’ ahb-DOOL’-moo-TAH’-lahb) registered online in April 2008, then attended a two-week program hosted by the institute in Houston in August 2008.

He says school records show Abdulmutallab identified himself as a 21-year-old Nigerian student at University College London and the London School of Economics who was studying mechanical engineering and business finance.

Basyouni says the institute is working with the authorities on the case.