Terror suspect arrested near US Capitol
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E-mail Xinhua, February 18, 2012
A terror suspect was arrested Friday near the U.S. Capitol as part of an anti-terrorism investigation, the FBI said in a statement.
The suspect was carrying explosives that had been deactivated by officers, noted the FBI.
"Explosives the suspect allegedly sought to use in connection with the plot had been rendered inoperable by law enforcement and posed no threat to the public," said the statement.
The FBI said the arrest "was the culmination of an undercover operation during which the suspect was closely monitored by law enforcement."
The suspect, a man of Moroccan descent, was planning a suicide attack on the Capitol with explosives he received from undercover officers, whom he thought were associates of al-Qaeda, CNN reported.
The suspect was not connected to a terrorist organization and was acting alone, the report quoted federal law enforcement source as saying.
The U.S. capital area, with landmarks such as the White House, the Capitol and the Pentagon in particular, has long been the target of terrorist plots.
Last September, a 26-year-old U.S. citizen was arrested and accused of plotting to bomb the Pentagon and the Capitol with a large remote-controlled aircraft filled with explosives.
The alleged bomber, Rezwan Ferdaus of Massachusetts, was arrested by undercover federal agents delivering materials he'd requested for his plan, including grenades, machine guns and what purported to be C-4 explosives.
He was charged with the aerial bombing plot and attempts to deliver bomb-making materials for use in attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq.
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