Abdul Mutallab, a 23 year old Nigerian claiming he was acting on al Qaida's instructions set off an explosive device on Christmas day on a plane traveling between Nigeria and Detroit. That attempt to murder over 270 people on Delta's Flight 253 was thwarted when one passenger jumped over others to subdue the man. Shortly afterward, the suspect was taken to a front row seat with his pants cut off and his legs burned.

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According to a witness on the plane, "It sounded like a firecracker in a pillowcase," said Peter Smith, a passenger from the Netherlands. "First there was a pop, and then [there] was smoke." Smith said the passenger, sitting opposite the man, climbed over passengers, went across the aisle and tried to restrain the man. The heroic passenger appeared to have been burned. (source)

Most Americans did not need this reminder that we are a nation at war; that there are those in the world who would murder innocent people simply because we do not believe what they believe or live as they live. But perhaps we needed to be reminded that heroes still walk among us. In these difficult economic times when so many families are struggling and even our government seems to be working against us, it's important to remember that we can still rely on each other.

As the story unfolds, I'm sure we'll learn more about the would-be bomber, his connections to terrorist organizations, the US government's reaction to the attack and a host of other peripheral issues. There will be speeches made and regulations revised in an attempt to make us feel safe in this unsafe world. I hope that somewhere in there we also learn about the person who acted so bravely to prevent what could have been a Christmas tragedy. If we are to really win this war, it will be our men and women in uniform, our first responders and people like that passenger on Flight 253 who will be our heroes - not the politicians who can't even agree on what to call the conflict.

UPDATE: Jasper Schuringa, a video director from Amsterdam, is being hailed as the passenger who stopped the terrorist attack on Flight 253. Details are still coming in on the alleged attack, but Mr. Schuringa is coming forward as the man who helped stop it. (source)