Richard Reid, in a prison photograph

Richard Colvin Reid (born August 12, 1973), also known as the shoe bomber, is a British citizen born in Bromley, South London and a Muslim allegedly working for Al Qaeda who was arrested on December 22, 2001 for attempting to destroy a passenger airliner by igniting explosives hidden in his shoes. According to the FBI he has used the aliases Tariq Raja, and Abdel Rahim. Image of Richard Reid. ... August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... Bromley is the main town in the London Borough of Bromley. ... South London is the area of Greater London south of the River Thames. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Osama bin Laden Ayman al-Zawahiri Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of allied militant Islamist organizations. ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ...

The flight was American Airlines Flight 63 going from Charles De Gaulle International Airport near Paris, France to Miami, Florida's Miami International Airport. He was caught when a flight attendant saw him attempting to light a match on the tongue of his sneaker. She tried grabbing his shoes, but he pushed her to the floor, and she screamed for help. When another flight attendant tried to stop him, he fought her and bit her thumb. The 6 foot 4 inch (193 cm) Reid was eventually subdued by other passengers on the airliner, two of whom were doctors who injected him with sedative drugs. American Airlines Boeing 757 American Airlines and American Eagle aircraft at San Juan American Airlines (AA) is the largest airline in the world. ... American Airlines Flight 63 is a flight from Paris, Frances Charles De Gaulle International Airport to Miami, Floridas Miami International Airport. ... Charles de Gaulle International Airport ( French: Aéroport de Roissy-Charles de Gaulle), also known as Roissy Airport (or just Roissy in French), serving Paris, is one of Europes principal aviation centers, as well as Frances main international airport. ... The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... State nickname: Everglade State, Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ... Miami International Airport (IATA Airport Code: MIA, ICAO Airport Code: KMIA), is located in unincorporated Miami, Florida between the suburbs of Hialeah, Doral, Fontainbleau, and Miami Springs. ...

Authorities later found plastic explosives with a triacetone triperoxide (TATP) detonator, hidden in the lining of his shoes. On January 30, 2003, he was found guilty on terrorism charges at a federal court in Boston, Massachusetts and sentenced to life in prison. During the sentencing hearing he openly stated that he was an Islamic fundamentalist and declared himself an enemy of the United States. Plastic explosive (or plastique) is a specialised form of explosive material. ... Triacetone triperoxide (TATP) is an explosive popular with terrorist groups. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... Terrorism is a controversial term with multiple definitions. ... Alternative meanings: Boston (disambiguation) The 18th-century Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. ... State nickname: Bay State Other U.S. States Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney Official languages English Area 27,360 km² (44th)  - Land 20,317 km²  - Water 7,043 km² (25. ... Life imprisonment is a term used for a particular kind of sentence of imprisonment. ... Islam (Arabic al-islām الإسلام,  listen) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ...

Richard Reid currently resides in the "Supermax prison" in Florence, Colorado. Administrative Maximum Security Florence or simply ADX Florence, is the only supermax prison operated by the federal government of the United States. ... Florence is a city located in Fremont County, Colorado, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 3,653. ...

External links

• This CNN webpage (http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/01/31/reid.transcript/) gives a transcript of Reid's conviction
• Another CNN webpage (http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/10/04/reid.guilty.plea/) on the event
• This timeline from CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/01/07/reid.timeline/index.html) gives an account of Reid's actions before and during his attempted terrorist act.
• CNN article with date of birth (http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/12/24/investigation.plane/)
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinal article (http://www.jsonline.com/news/nat/dec01/7635.asp) details the scuffle
• Richard Reid's record (http://inmateloc.bop.gov/locatorservlet/gov.bop.inmatelocator.FindInmateHttpServlet?Indiv=1&Index=2&ADA=&Indiv=-1&MiddleName=&Results=10&SearchType=NAME&ADA=&LastName=reid&FirstName=richard&Gender=U&Race=U&Age=&DateOfBirth=) in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons