Becoming a terrorist is a serious matter. On the plus side, if you succeed, it's like you get a new life; but on the other hand, chances are high that you will get caught and spend the rest of your life in prison.

And that's what happened to suicide bomber Ahmed Ressam in 1999. After filling his car with explosives, the terrorist drove from Canada to the US border. But as he passed a sort of road blitz, Ressam panicked and fled. Of course, his behavior aroused suspicion and the man was eventually arrested.

The advantage of stopping these attacks - besides saving lives, of course - is that they can better understand the details of the plan and thus develop tactics to curb further attempts. Here are more stories of terrorist attacks that, fortunately, didn't end as expected:

1) The explosives in underwear

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was arrested while trying to blow up a plane. Image Source: Reproduction / How Stuff Works

Nigerian terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, deserves recognition for his creativity. On December 25, 2009, the bomber, who was wearing his explosive underpants, managed to get past airport security and board a flight from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to Detroit, the United States.

Inside the plane, Abdulmutallab settled under a blanket and began preparing to explode his underwear. It turns out that the surrounding passengers heard explosive noises and were alert to realize that the sounds came from the intimate parts of the bomber. With the failure of the explosives, flames also appeared on the terrorist's clothing.

Faced with this scene, the passengers immobilized the man, who was arrested by the authorities. Abdulmutallab confessed that he had been using the bombs in his underwear for three weeks to get used to it and that was probably what made the explosives not work. The terrorist was sentenced to life imprisonment for the unsuccessful attack.

2) The pumps in the shoes

The shoe worn by Richard Reid (right) is part of an FBI exhibit. Image Source: Reproduction / How Stuff Works

Richard Reid took the first step in trying to destroy the lives of dozens of people in December 2011. A native of the United Kingdom, the man was recruited by al-Qaeda and planned to destroy a plane with a series of home-made explosives that were hidden in a compartment in the sole of your shoes.

As in the previous case, the bomber managed to get past airport security wearing his shoes and boarded a flight from Paris, France, to Miami, United States. But inside the plane, Reid struggled to light a match and fumbled further to cause the fuse to ignite. When he finally managed to light the explosives, they didn't detonate because his feet were so sweaty.

By this time, the passengers and flight attendants were already suspicious of the man's behavior and found it prudent to lock him in his seat. A doctor on board gave Reid soothing sleep. After that he was arrested, charged with terrorism and sentenced to life imprisonment.

3) The plan that sank

Jamal Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi and Fahd Al-Quso accompany their trial. Image Source: Reproduction / How Stuff Works

While the other suicide bombers were on their way to American territory, the object of this terrorist attack was far from America. It was the USS ship The Sullivans, which was anchored in the port city of Aden, Yemen.

The terrorist plan - implemented in January 2000 - was simple: load a small boat with explosives and navigate by the ship until it was time to blow up the boat, the ship and themselves. The problem is that getting enough damage to the ship required a large amount of explosives, which caused the boat to sink because of its excess weight.

The terrorists' first attempt failed, but unfortunately the same plan was used to hit another ship, the USS Cole, in October 2000. In the new attack, 17 US sailors died and 40 were injured.

In 2004, Jamal Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi and Fahd Al-Quso - both responsible for the second attack - were arrested and sentenced. Al-Quso was released and continued his activities in Al-Qaeda until he was killed in an attack in 2012. Al-Badawi was sentenced to death, but escaped during a transfer in 2006. Last year, the FBI was offering $ 5 million as a reward for your capture.

4) The fake bomb

FBI agents prevented the Fountain Place building from going up. Image Source: Reproduction / How Stuff Works

In 2009, Jordanian Hosam Smadi was a 19-year-old student living in the United States even with his visa expired. That year, the young man began writing on a website about his radical studies of Islam. Smadi lived in Texas and, according to the FBI, seemed determined to carry out his violent plans.

Before long, the young man was the center of a ten-month FBI investigation. Part of the police officers' plan was to sell a fake bomb to Smadi according to the specifications he sought. The terrorist then loaded the alleged bomb into his vehicle and parked in the garage of a 60-story Dallas building known as Fountain Place. When the young man got into the car of an undercover agent and tried to fire the bomb from a cell phone, he was arrested.

In 2010, Smadi was found guilty of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and was sentenced to 24 years in prison in a court a few blocks from the building he tried to blow up.

5) Gunpowder Plot

Actor plays Guy Fawkes next to his powder kegs. Image Source: Reproduction / How Stuff Works

If you thought terrorism was unique to today's society, you are very wrong. In 1605 an unsuccessful terrorist attack - perhaps the first on record - took place in the British Parliament. Although the reasons for the attack are unclear, it is believed to have been an attempt to reestablish Catholicism from the assassination of Protestant King James I of England.

Regardless, the story goes that five men planned to blow up the House of Lords on November 5, 1605, when the king would be present, as well as the other members of parliament. However, after receiving an anonymous letter, the chamber underwent an intense investigation.

On the night of November 4, one of the members of the terrorist group, Guy Fawkes, was found in the basement just below the parliamentarians' room. Unfortunately, along with it were barrels and barrels of gunpowder.

Of the five terrorists, some were killed and others were taken to the Tower of London, where they were tried, found guilty and executed. Their heads were placed on spears and displayed all over the city of London. Today, November 5 is the date when Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated (also known in England as Bonfire Night) when bonfires and fireworks are lit to commemorate the event.

* Originally posted 02/02/2014 .

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