US al Qaeda supporter admits to model plane plot
Rezwan Ferdaus, 26, admitted to attempting to provide material support to terrorists and attempting to damage and destroy federal buildings by means of an explosive.
Federal Judge Richard Stearns accepted his plea and set a final sentencing hearing for November 1.
According to his agreement with US prosecutors, Ferdaus will be sentenced to 17 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation. In return for his guilty plea, the government agreed to drop four other charges against him.
Ferdaus kept quiet during the one-hour hearing. Several relatives, including his parents, attended the session.
Authorities described Ferdaus as an unmarried physics graduate from Boston's Northeastern University. The al Qaeda supporter reportedly committed himself to "violent jihad" early last year.
He was arrested in September as part of a sting operation in which FBI agents posed as members of al Qaeda.
During the investigation, Ferdaus described to undercover agents his step-by-step plan of attack, Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Siegmann said.
The prosecutor said Ferdaus told the agents he planned to use aircraft filled with grenades and mobile phone-activated explosives to bring about the "downfall of this disgusting place," the United States.
Ferdaus was also accused of modifying mobile phones for use as switches in bombs to kill US soldiers in Iraq and to having given the devices to FBI agents "he believed were members of or recruiters for al Qaeda."
A white Playboy bunny graced the tail end of one of three model planes filled with C4 plastic explosives, slated to hit the Pentagon or blow the Capitol's dome "to smithereens," he was quoted as saying in court files.
According to the original complaint, when told - falsely - that one of his phones had been part of a bomb that killed three soldiers, Ferdaus said: "That was exactly what I wanted."
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indian sub continent muslims are becoming day by day fanatic, god they do suffer a huge identity crisis for sure.
Sane folks must write sane comment so that no one else is ruined and lost.He is lost for long time,when he comes out,the best part of his best days are behind him ,he will be a broken man,a mere shadow,that's what penitanituary does to people.He will be a felon,he legally a non-person with criminal record.You must warn the next generation of the pit falls of such acts.Oh! he is not Pakistani,should not be the response,but ask Why?,& how to prevent that in future.That must be our concern.America is too strong to bring down by terror acts.Case closed.
@Mj: That does not help,Americans don't care if you have got naturalization papers,you are still what you are.This the problem facing Pakistani-American,they can not get out from the mind set,that they have to leave the baggage of their native land,their family in a strange way reinforce their seperatism by their clinging to their old native way,see this youngman,take a good look at him,?he has good education,but that is not enough,you have to look employable,he certainly does not look.No one can get inside heads,but looks count in West.Mind set,my dear,that is the key.Good day
Don't these cowards know that their beard style and dress make task easier for secret agencies to single out and hunt them. Once they are caught, they talk like parrots and provide information without further torcher. Tamil Tigers were far more brave and courageous terrorists who would swallow cyanide capsule before capture.
I am relieved that at least he's not a Pakistani...
@Warlock: That is their least of the problem,this can be taken care off,but there are other deeper problem.Any remedy?
ET- You guys need to pay more attention towards your spellings and gramatical errors. Almost every article has some sort of a mistake.
Many wrongly believe that poverty and illiteracy is the cause for extremism, I beg to disagree.