Detroit Terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab defiantly shouted during the start of jury selection today in federal court that his alleged mentor, U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, is "alive."
He also railed against the United States saying the United States is a cancer and complained about his clothes, adding high drama to the most high-profile terror case in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
After telling U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds he wanted to wear a Yemeni belt and a dagger, Abdulmutallab left the courtroom and changed into a khaki-colored tunic and a black blazer.
When he returned, Abdulmutallab shouted, "Anwar is alive," a reference to the cleric whose Internet videos helped introduce Abdulmutallab to al-Qaida. Al-Awlaki was killed by a predator drone strike last month in Yemen.
The judge and lawyers for the government and Abdulmutallab spent the morning questioning prospective jurors about their beliefs and exposure to media reports about the case. Some were questioned about interactions with Muslims.
A few prospective jurors expressed anxiety about serving on a high-profile terror case.
One woman, who works as a secretary in the human-resources field, said she was concerned about "who will be waiting in the wings outside the courthouse."
Abdulmutallab took a passive role in his defense, letting legal adviser Anthony Chambers handle questioning of all but one prospective juror .
As jurors were questioned, Abdulmutallab sometimes glared at them, sometimes sat impassively with hands folded under his chin. At one point, he whispered something to Chambers and cracked a smile.
Jury selection is expected to last three days. In almost four hours of jury selection Tuesday, 10 women and two men have survived the initial cut and remain in the jury pool. Five prospective jurors have been excused from serving for a variety of reasons, including mental illness and presumptions that Abdulmutallab is guilty. One man, a volunteer firefighter, said he could not be fair and impartial because of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which killed scores of firefighters.
"I've never done this before," the man said. "I'm nervous. I'm uncomfortable."
The goal is to get a pool of 45 prospective jurors. At that point, the government and Abdulmutallab can get rid of a certain number of would-be jurors for any reason. Abdulmutallab can strike 10 people and two alternates. The government can strike seven prospective jurors and two alternates without cause.
The criminal case is as close to a slam dunk as possible, legal experts say.
It's considered the most important federal prosecution in Detroit in almost 20 years for a U.S. Attorney's Office with a mixed track record on big cases.
That record includes losing a high-profile 2003 terrorism case and cases against former Macomb County Prosecutor Carl Marlinga and controversial Southfield lawyer Geoffrey Fieger. But recently, federal prosecutors, under U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade, have secured a string of guilty pleas in public corruption cases and are prosecuting a 38-count indictment against ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
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