Pak-born man plots to bomb trains, held

Oct 29, 2010 |

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Oct. 28: Federal officials arrested a Pakistani-American man for plotting a series of bomb attacks on Washington’s subway system with people he believed were tied to Al Qaeda.

Farooque Ahmed, 34, had been allegedly observing, videotaping Metro stations in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, including near the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, since April.

Over the course of six months, he allegedly told contacts he believed to be linked to Al Qaeda that he wanted to “kill as many military personnel as possible” and suggested where bombs should be planted on Metro trains “to kill the most people.”

Mr David Kris, assistant attorney general for national security, said, “Farooque Ahmed is accused of plotting with individuals he believed were terrorists, but a coordinated law enforcement and intelligence effort was able to thwart his plans.” The case underscores the need for continued vigilance against terrorist threats, he said.

Ahmed, a naturalised US citizen who was born in Pakistan, appeared in a Virginia court to hear the charges against him. If convicted, he could be jailed for up to 50 years.

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