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Feds Honor Prosecutors In Underwear Bomber Case

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - The U.S. Justice Department has honored three federal prosecutors in Detroit for their work in the case of the underwear bomber.

Michael Martin, Cathleen Corken and Jonathan Tukel were honored this week in Washington at the annual attorney general's awards ceremony. Paralegal Darlene Secord was also honored for her work on the case.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab pleaded guilty last year to trying to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Christmas 2009. He's serving a life sentence.

Abdulmutallab said he was working for al-Qaida and the bomb in his underwear was a "blessed weapon" to avenge poorly treated Muslims around the world.

Had the underwear bomb not fizzled, nearly 300 people aboard the flight would probably have been killed.

Catch up on this story, here.

TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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