Prosecutors have Abdulmutallab's hospital-bed confession, dozens of witnesses, remnants of the explosive and an al Qaeda video featuring the 24-year-old explaining his suicide mission.
A conviction on multiple charges could bolster the argument that suspected terrorists should be prosecuted through civilian courts, not military proceedings.
Abdulmutallab, a well-educated Nigerian from an upper-class family who has pleaded not guilty,was directed by American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and said he wanted to become a martyr on Christmas 2009, when he boarded Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines Flight 253 in Amsterdam, according to the government.
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