JURY selection began onTuesday in themidwestern American city of Detroit for the trial of Umar Farouk Abdulmu-tallab, a Nigerian accused of trying to blow up a United States Detroit-bound airliner on Christ-mas Day in 2009.As proceedings were going on in Abdul-mutallab's federal trial, he declared that a radical Islamic American-born cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, killed by the US military is alive, while referring to the US as 'the cancer.'According to him, 'the Mujahadeen will wipe out the US 'the cancer US.''Anwar is alive,' Abdulmutallab said in court, claiming that the American-born cleric, who was killed last week by a joint CIA-US military air strike in Yemen, is alive.The 24-year-old Abdul-mutallab is acting as his own attorney and had previously told reporters they should stop reporting that Osama bin Laden was dead.Abdulmutallab, according to US govern-ment, was allegedly directed by al-Awlaki and wanted to become a martyr when he boarded North-west Airlines Flight 253 in Amsterdam on Christmas Day in 2009.Abdulmutallab, who complained loudly at a previous hearing about having to wear prison clothes, according to AP report, came into the courtroom on Tuesday wearing an oversized prison T-shirt.The news agency reported that US District Judge, Nancy Edmunds, called a brief recess to allow him to change into clothes more appropriate for court, after acknowledging and denying his apparent request to wear a 'Yemeni belt with a dagger.'Abdulmutallab, according to AP, later wore a long robe with a dark pinstriped suit coat over it, as well as a black skull cap.The judge had denied several of Abdulmutallab's requests for the trial, including that the case be judged under Islamic law.Abdulmutallab had pleaded not guilty to eight charges, including conspiracy to commit terrorism and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.The government said Abdulmutallab willingly explained the plot twice, first to US border officers who took him off the plane and then in more detail to FBI agents who interviewed him at a hospital for 50 minutes, following treatment for serious burns to his groin.Abdulmutallab told authorities he trained in Yemen, home base for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, adding that he was influenced by al-Awlaki.Following the strike, a US official outlined new details of al-Awlaki's involvement against the US, including Abdulmutallab's alleged mission.The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said al-Awlaki specifically directed Abdulmutallab to detonate an explosive device over US airspace to maximise casualties.Osama bin Laden appeared in a video declaring Abdulmutallab a 'hero.' Abdulmutallab also has been lauded by al Qaeda's English-language Web magazine Inspire, whose editor was killed along with al-Awlaki.After the outburst about al-Awlaki and flap over Abdulmutallab's clothes, jury selection got under way in earnest, with most questioning done by the judge and attorney Anthony Chambers, who has been appointed to assist Abdulmutallab.Abdulmutallab, who had suggested he would interview some prospective jurors and could give his own opening statement, calmly questioned one woman who indicated she had concerns about retaliation for serving on the jury.The woman remained in the jury pool, but several others were immediately dismissed after saying they could not be impartial.
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