The man who tried unsuccessfully to set off a car bomb before blowing himself up on a busy street filled with Christmas shoppers in Stockholm is a former British university student who may have been assisted by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

The Telegraph reports:

The suicide bombing follows an attempt by Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab, a former student at University College London, to blow himself up last Christmas on a flight to Detroit.

Abdulmutallab had trained in Yemen, but had become increasingly radical during his time in Britain. The security services and police are concerned that British university campuses have become breeding grounds for extremism. Neighbours told The Daily Telegraph last night that they had last seen Abdulwahab at the 1930s semi-detached house in Luton, Beds, two and a half weeks ago. The couple have two young girls and a baby son. His wife, Mona, a Swedish citizen, is said to run a home beauty company.

Tahir Hussain, 33, a taxi driver who lives nearby, said: "I used to see him around often. He didn't say much but seemed nice. I used to see him walking with his kids.

"I was shocked when I heard what happened because I never thought he could do such a thing."

Mr Hussain said that the couple had been living there for a year and that Abdulwahab used to go to Friday prayers at the Islamic Centre in Luton.

MI5 is investigating the bomber's possible radical associations in Luton and at the university. Once again, the lie is given to the left's favorite mantra about terrorism; solving poverty and hopelessness is the key to solving the problem of violent jihad. Abdulwahab was an educated, intelligent, middle class Muslim radicalized either at his mosque or at university. He fits the profile of most jihadists which makes going after these extremist centers all the more imperative.