The Nigerian terror suspect, Omar Farouk Abdulmutallab facing life jail offence for trying to blow up a US Delta airliner over Detroit with 300 people on board last Christmas, on Monday, September 13, fired his lawyers.

His arraignment yesterday was just the second court hearing attended by Abdulmutallab since his Friday, January 8 arraignment.

He didn't offer a specific reason for his displeasure with the four-lawyer, publicly financed defence team, but repeatedly declaring he wanted to represent himself, suggesting he's ready to plead guilty to some charges.

U.S. investigators have said Abdulmutallab told them he received training and instructions from al-Qaida operatives in Yemen.

At a 30-minute court session Monday he told Judge Nancy Edmunds he wanted to defend himself, said Rod Hansen, press officer for the federal district court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Abdulmutallab announced his decision at the beginning of the hearing, prompting Edmunds to summon the Nigerian to the bench, Hansen said.

"She asked him a lot of questions," Hansen said. "She also asked him he had any legal training and if he understood US (law).""He really didn't answer," Hansen added.

"I prefer to represent myself, I don't feel any representation I get would represent me in a way that's in my best interest," Abdulmutallab said.

Edmunds told Abdulmutallab that he was making a mistake, as it was an "unwise" choice but accepted his decision, saying she would appoint him "standby counsel" from the public defender�s office to help him prepare his defence.

Abdulmutallab asked Edmunds during the hearing if it was possible for him to plead guilty to "some" of the charges against him, but the judge told him she was not allowed to offer any legal advice to a defendant in her court.

Just before the court hearing ended, Abdulmutallab said: "If I want to plead guilty to some counts, basically, how would that go?" Edmunds said the stand-by counsel would answer his questions.

Mr. Abdulmutallab, 24, is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 as the Amsterdam-to-Detroit plane approached its destination Friday, December 25. Passengers who saw flames pounced on Abdulmutallab, subdued him and forced him to the front of the plane. Authorities say he was trying to set off explosives hidden in his underwear.

It was just the second court hearing attended by Abdulmutallab since his arraignment earlier this year. The judge had planned to set a trial date but changed course on the bench, telling the courtroom the suspect wanted to fire his lawyers.

Edmunds took several minutes to question him about the daunting task of being his own lawyer: Have you studied law? Have you ever represented yourself? Do you know the rules of evidence? Do you realize you face life in prison?

Outside the courtroom, the head of the defence team, Miriam Siefer, said Abdulmutallab has the right to represent himself "and he's exercised that right." She declined further comment. Prosecutors also declined to comment.

He faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if convicted. The son of a prominent Nigerian banker, Abdulmutallab allegedly had explosives stitched into his underwear, which failed to detonate aboard the Northwest flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. While the explosive device appeared to have been flawed, the attack was also thwarted by passengers and crew, who tackled and restrained Abdulmutallab before he was escorted off the plane in Detroit.

The foiled bombing triggered global alarm, leading the United States to adopt stringent new screening and security measures at airports around the world. The next court hearing is adjourned to Thursday, October 14.




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