Americas

Americas

Suspect in U.S. Capitol suicide bombing plot pleads guilty

22 June 2012 23:49 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A Moroccan suspect pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to a thwarted suicide bombing attack on the U.S. Capitol earlier this year, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Amine Mohammed El Khalifi, 29, appeared in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia Friday afternoon and entered the plea on charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against property that is owned and used by the United States.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Khalifi’s sentence will be fixed at between 25 and 30 years in prison. If convicted, he could have faced a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Khalifi was arrested on Feb. 17 near the U.S. Capitol carrying explosives that had been deactivated by FBI officers. The FBI said the arrest "was the culmination of an undercover operation during which the suspect was closely monitored by law enforcement."

U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride said after Friday’s hearing the suspect believed he was working with an al-Qaeda operative.

MacBride also stated that Khalifi’s initial targets included a synagogue and a crowded district restaurant.

Khalifi, who came to the country at age 16 and lived in Northern Virginia, was back into custody until his sentencing date of Sept. 14 pending a pre-sentence report.

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.