What is the Yemen cargo plot of 2010?

• A. Two ink cartridges containing explosives placed on two cargo aircraft departing Yemen.
• B. A single person backpack bomb attached to a passenger plane.
• C. Explosives placed on a Yemen-bound passenger airliner and detonated.
• D. An attempted cyber attack on air traffic control.

Answer: (A)

The Yemen cargo plot of 2010 centers on a plan to target the United States by smuggling explosive devices aboard cargo planes leaving Yemen. In this plot, two separate packages containing PETN-based explosives were hidden inside printer cartridges and placed aboard two cargo aircraft departing Yemen. The devices were discovered and neutralized before takeoff, preventing any attack. This differentiates from attempts to blow up a passenger jet with a backpack bomb or from a cyberattack on air traffic control; it specifically involves explosives hidden in cargo for aircraft, not a passenger flight or cyber intrusion. The incident highlighted the vulnerability of air cargo and the need for tighter screening on shipments from conflict regions.