Government officials have seized a bomb that is similar to the one that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to use to blow up a plane in December of 2009. The device was discovered as part of a CIA operation in Yemen, and it is now being analyzed by the FBI in Virginia.
The bomb bears distinct indicators that it was made by Ibrahim al-Asiri, a Saudi militant who also created the device that was used in the 2009 bombing attempt. Initial examination reveals that this device had no metal parts and there is a good chance that it would have defeated both metal detection and body scanners at airport security. Though the trip had not been finalized, a bomber had been selected and he was planning to board an American-bound flight with the device.
Source: “Underwear bombs: Not this time” Posted May 8th 2012, 10:46 on economist.com