Abdul Mudallad attempted a terrorist attack on Northwest Flight 253, claims a report. Abdul Mudallad’s terrorist attack attempt “definitely appears to be al-Qaeda related. This was not a firecracker. This was for real” says a government official today.

Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, is the basis of today’s allegations. King said Abdul Mudallad is Nigerian born, 23, and was not on U.S. terrorist watch lists but was “hot”.

King tells the WSJthat Abdul Mudallad is “hot”, meaning he does appear in terrorist related logs and appears in a nexus with al-Qaeda. “Here’s definitely a terrorist nexus — that’s the term being used by the people I’m talking to in Washington.”

Abdul Mudallad boarded the plane in Lagos, Nigeria, had an Amsterdam stop over, and then went on to Detroit. Upon approach, Abdul Mudallad tried to detonate a device suffering 3rd degree burns.

Obama has called for “all appropriate measures to be taken to increase security”.