Today's Terrorists: Spoiled Rich Kids

[MetaTrope]

The background of the would-be airline bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, shows some interesting parallels with another name we've heard: Osama Bin Laden.

Just as Bin Laden supposedly cut all ties with his family, so too did Abdulmutallab, or so it's claimed. While reports are that the latter's father is a "well-known banker", the MSM hasn't yet provided any indication of just how well known:

Source Daily Trust: Idris Ahmed, 14th December 2009

Veteran Chairman of the Board of First Bank Plc Alhaji Umaru Abdul Mutallab formally retired from the position yesterday after serving on the Board for thirteen years. His voluntary retirement was announced at the Board meeting of the bank in Lagos, Daily Trust learnt. He will be 70 years old today. First Bank was yet to announce a successor.

Mutallab was appointed to the Board of First Bank in 1996 and became its Chairman in 1999. He attended Barewa College, Zaria, Achimota College, Accra, Ghana and the South West London College, London. Started his working career in 1965 as Management Accountant with Fuller Jenks Beecroft & Co in London. He also served as Chief Accountant/Acting General Manager, Defence Industries Corporation in Kaduna. He was also the Financial Controller of the company.

He rose to become the General Manager, New Nigeria Development Company Limited (NNDC) from 1968 to 1975. In 1975, he was appointed as Federal Commissioner (i.e. Minister) for Economic Development & Reconstruction and was re-assigned to the Federal Ministry of Cooperatives & Supply in 1976.

Mutallab also served on the boards of several companies such as Arewa Textiles Limited, NEPA, NACB, NCC, Nigeria Agip Oil, and the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria . He is currently Chairman of several companies, including Impresit Bakolori Plc, Incar Nigeria Plc and Spring Waters Nigeria Limited (SWAN). He is also Chairman, Business Support Group of the Vision 202020.

Very lucky for First Bank that Mutallab chose to retire just a week before his son lit up his underwear! As an indication of just how important the bank is in the scheme of things, earlier this year its CEO moved on to take charge of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Given that Osama Bin Laden's elder brother was an investor in George W. Bush's first business venture, it would be curious to discover whether First Bank holds any common financial interests with key figures of the previous White House administration...

[GreenStormCloud]

1. Always have been.

The poverty terrorist is a myth. They are almost always upper-middle class or higher. The poor don't have the education or the time to cram their heads with radical politics, the poor are too busy surviving.

[whistler162]

4. +1

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[MetaTrope]

3. First Bank of Nigeria plc issues statement

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200912280494654

“The board and management of First Bank Plc have been shocked and saddened by the incident involving Umar, son of the former Chairman of First Bank, Alhaji Umar Mutallab.

“As a prominent Nigerian, who has been the Chief Executive Officer/Chairman of other Nigerian banks, a Federal Government Minister and leader of Presidential Committees, this unfortunate event is not only a pardoned tragedy for Mutallab and his family, but also a sad development for the nation as a whole, which has been making great strides in rebuilding its image in the international community. First Bank strongly condemns any act of terrorism.

“We are, therefore, encouraged by reports that Dr. Mutallab operatively informed the appropriate authorities of his suspicions about his son’s extreme views, and we thank God that this terror mission was unsuccessful.”

[dugaresa]

5. there was a great british film about a son who becomes "radicalized"

meanwhile his father left his native country because he hated it and wanted a better life in England and his son turns into a radical because he has had the luxury to grow up well fed and educated. the father wasn't rich by any standards, I think he may have been a cab driver but it was a good film. can't remember the name of that movie.

[gleaner]

6. An interesting but arcane parallel ....

Many members of the Weather Underground, the violent part of the radical anti war movement came from rich families and lived lives of privilege. I am not comparing them to terrorists who blow up airplanes, although they might have come to that given time, but they did make bombs and rob banks and perform other violent acts in the name of "peace." I always found that to be very strange, the rich wanting to blow up the rich and powerful.

[MetaTrope]

7. An interesting tidbit about Mutallab's former employer, Defence Industries Corporation

They're not just part of the arms industry in Nigeria...they are the arms industry in Nigeria.

DICON which is a corporation under the federal ministry of Defence was established by an Act of parliament in 1964 to manufacture ordinance material for the nation's armed forces and use its excess capacity to produce civilian products.

This year, they partnered with Pakistani Defence Industries.