version of the so-called underwear bomb made only of chemicals and used by umar abdulmutallab in a failed attempt to blow up a flight on christmas day 2009. the fbi later demonstrated what would have happened had it detonated successfully. this latest version had what is being called a highly redefined detonation system and is now being examined by fbi bomb technicians. white house officials said president obama was briefed on the plot in april. and just one week ago, his top counterterror adviser john brennan denied there was any such plot. there is no reporting that there is an active plot under way to coincide with the anniversary of the bin laden takedown. reporter: developments come on the same day a kidnapped aide worker, warren weinstein, was seen on an al qaeda video pleading for his life to president obama. my life is in your hands, mr. president. if you accept the demands, i live.
version of the so-called underwear bomb made only of chemicals and used by umar abdulmutallab in a failed attempt to blow up a flight on christmas day 2009. the fbi later demonstrated what would have happened had it detonated successfully. this latest version had what is being called a highly redefined detonation system and is now being examined by fbi bomb technicians. white house officials said president obama was briefed on the plot in april. and just one week ago, his top counterterror adviser john brennan denied there was any such plot. there is no reporting that there is an active plot under way to coincide with the anniversary of the bin laden takedown. reporter: developments come on the same day a kidnapped aide worker, warren weinstein, was seen on an al qaeda video pleading for his life to president obama. my life is in your hands, mr. president. if you accept the demands, i
and welcome to today on this tuesday morning. i m ann curry. and i m matt lauer. we had a recent assessment by the obama administration that said al qaeda is a shadow of its former self. but this latest thwarted attempt shows that the network is still making a lot of efforts to attack. absolutely right, matt. because on monday we learned that a covert cia operation in yemen stopped a suicide mission that planned to use an upgraded underwear bomb, containing no metal at all, on a flight headed here to the united states. we re going to get more on this from president obama s top counterterrorism adviser just ahead. also ahead, after a very bitter primary battle, former presidential candidate rick santorum has now endorsed his former republican rival mitt romney. wasn t exactly a rousing endorsement. he did it in an e-mail sent overnight. we re going to have more on that story as well. also prince harry has been in washington. he s been dazzling washington. we re going
paula faris is on assignment. i m rob nelson. good morning, everybody. there is still a threat this morning, since the master bombmaker behind this latest plot is still on the loose. and there s questions whether airport security in this country is capable of detecting this new threat. abc s tahman bradley is in washington with more. good morning, tahman. reporter: good morning, rob and sunny. officials say the plot was being run by the al qaeda group in yemen. the would-be bomber was found in yemen. the cia and usa counterterrorism partners thwarted an attempt by al qaeda. this morning, forensic experts are studying the bomb, trying to determine if it would have gotten through airport security. the plot was foiled. so, no flights were in danger. the u.s. government is saying it never came close because they had insider information, insider control. which implies they had somebody on the inside that wasn t going to let it happen. reporter: authorities say this lates
and welcome to today on this tuesday morning. i m ann curry. and i m matt lauer. we had a recent assessment by the obama administration that said al qaeda is a shadow of its former self. but this latest thwarted attempt shows that the network is still making a lot of efforts to attack. absolutely right, matt. because on monday we learned that a covert cia operation in yemen stopped a suicide mission that planned to use an upgraded underwear bomb, containing no metal at all, on a flight headed here to the united states. we re going to get more on this from president obama s top counterterrorism adviser just ahead. also ahead, after a very bitter primary battle, former presidential candidate rick santorum has now endorsed his former republican rival mitt romney. wasn t exactly a rousing endorsement. he did it in an e-mail sent overnight. we re going to have more on that story as well. also prince harry has been in washington. he s been dazzling washington. we re going