- Title: USA: Virginia man is indicted on DC subway bomb plot charges
- Date: 28th October 2010
- Summary: ARLINGTON VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 27, 2010) (REUTERS) METRORAIL TRAIN ARRIVING AT COURT HOUSE METRO STATION VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GETTING ON AND OFF OF METRO TRAIN TRAIN LEAVING STATION COURT HOUSE METRO STATION AND PEOPLE WAITING ON PLATFORM FOR TRAINS TO ARRIVE METRORAIL STATION MAP SHOWING PENTAGON CITY, PENTAGON, ARLINGTON CEMETERY, AND COURT HOUSE METRO STO
- Embargoed: 12th November 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
- Reuters ID: LVABRZGZ5OXP5ZJCPNK3PO2BZGF4
- Story Text: A Virginia man who allegedly believed he was helping al Qaeda plan bombings at Washington area Metrorail stations was arrested on Wednesday (October 27), the U.S. Justice Department said.
Farooque Ahmed, 34, of Ashburn, was taken into custody early in the morning after a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment on Tuesday against the naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Pakistan.
Ahmed was charged with trying to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization, collecting information to assist in planning a terrorist attack on a transit facility, and attempting to provide material support to help carry out multiple bombings to cause mass casualties at D.C.-area Metrorail stations.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison, the Justice Department said.
From April to Oct. 25 Ahmed allegedly conducted surveillance, videotaped, photographed, and drew diagrams of the Arlington Cemetery, Courthouse, Crystal City and Pentagon City Metrorail stations, and offered suggestions about where to place explosives to kill people in simultaneous attacks planned for 2011, the indictment said.
He allegedly told an individual whom he believed to be affiliated with al Qaeda that between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. (local time) would be the best time for an attack to cause the most casualties, the indictment said.
Federal officials said that the public was never in any danger during the investigation and that federal authorities had closely monitored Ahmed's activities until his arrest.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, U.S. authorities have worried about another attack on U.S. soil.
Last week, a Jordanian national was sentenced to 24 years in prison for attempting to blow up a Dallas skyscraper. Earlier this month, Pakistani-born American Faisal Shahzad was sentenced to life in prison for trying to set off a car bomb in New York's Times Square.
Earlier this month, the United States and Britain warned of an increased risk of terrorist attacks in Europe, with Washington saying al Qaeda might target transport infrastructure.
A U.S. official, on condition of anonymity, said there was no connection between the arrest of Ahmed and the recent reports of threats in Europe. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None