Richard Reid

Richard Colvin Reid (born August 12, 1973), also known as the shoe bomber, is a British citizen from South London and a Muslim allegedly working for Al Qaeda who was arrested on December 22, 2001 for attempting to destroy a passenger airliner by igniting explosives hidden in his shoes. The FBI identified him as Tariq Raja, born in Sri Lanka. He also had the alias Abdel Rahim.

The flight was American Airlines Flight 63 going from Charles De Gaulle International Airport near Paris, France to Miami, Florida's Miami International Airport. He was caught when a flight attendant saw him attempting to light a book of matches. He was quickly subdued by other passengers on the airliner. Authorities later found plastic explosives hidden in the lining of his shoes. On January 30, 2003, he was found guilty on terrorism charges at a federal court in Boston, Massachusetts and sentenced to life in prison. During the sentencing hearing he blatantly stated that he was an Islamic fundamentalist and declared himself an enemy of the United States.

External links

• This CNN webpage gives a transcript of Reid's conviction
• This timeline from CNN gives an account of Reid's actions before and during his attempted terrorist act.
• CNN article with date of birth