Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian student with alleged links to al-Qaida, tried to detonate explosives just before a U.S.jetliner landed in Detroit on a trip from Amsterdam Friday.

VOA: standard.2009.12.28

The group in Yemen, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, is believed to have ties with Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a U.S.passenger jet on December 25.

VOA: standard.2010.01.07

British Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the weekend, and Straw said he held talks with his Syrian counterpart Farouk al-Sharaa on Friday.

CNN: Straw: Syria must cut Iraq ties

Interestingly enough, however, Farouk Al-Hijazi was not on the list of 55 most-wanted Iraqi officials that was drafted by the U.S. military.

CNN: Rym Brahimi: 'Big catches' in custody

Mr Clinton's comments follow a week of top-level negotiations at Shepherdstown, West Virginia, attended by Mr Barak, and the Syrian Foreign Minister, Farouk al-Sharaa.

BBC: News Online